Mighty Morphin Mecha Rangers!
by Thaeonblade
Summary: When Angel Groove is attacked by ridiculously powerful enemies, what does Seto Kaiba do? Blackmail Simon the Digger, Roger Smith, Bit Cloud, Van of Fanelia, and Shinji Ikari to join forces and fight them! This was either an awesome move or a really bad idea! Probably both. AU Mega-crossover cram-packed with awesome, smart, and epic silliness. Bridging towards Season Finale event.
1. Singing in the Blaze

**Copyright: I own nothing**

* * *

**The City of Angel Groove**

While technically a state more than a city since each of the districts are big enough to be cities by themselves, Angel Groove remains a peaceful place where poverty is less than 1%, Education is top ranked in the world, and everyone has a chance to make their mark on this grove of angels.

Even now, a little girl was making her mark on her doting father and mother as they strolled through the Angel Groove park with their elder butler nearby playing a game of golf.

"It's a really pretty park daddy!" The little girl said with delightful excitement and started staring at a frog that just stared back.

"Careful dear Annie...that could be a hypno toad." Annie's mother playfully warned while the girl just watched the frog hop across their path and back into the woods.

"Why can't we just live in this place?" She excitedly asked much to her father's amusement, "Look Daddy! A diamond!" The little girl shouted bringing her parents attention to the massive perfectly geommetrical crystal diamond that hovered over the forest, "And it sings!" Indeed it was singing as it floated, though the parents were just puzzled as to why a singing diamond was in their city.

"Yes honey...the diamond looks really-" Annie's father was suddenly less enthusiastic when he saw the diamond reform itself into a star-shaped entity and fire a massive energy beam into the city. Judging from the explosion he saw and felt, he was sure that an entire district was just wiped out, "Annie go with your mother."

"But I want to play with the-" She stopped when she noted how all of the animals and fish started hiding as soon as the diamond starting firing into the city and figured that they knew something was wrong. Annie may be an eight year old little girl, but she was in no way stupid.

"It's a giant diamond that shoots laser beams, Annie." The father explained to his surprisingly unafraid daughter, "Do you want to play with something that shoots laser beams?" Annie thought for a little bit and then shook her head to say no, "Didn't think so." The man hugged his daughter and let his wife take to their car while he found his suit and got ready to bring this monstrosity to terms.

"I suppose you'll be late for dinner then?" The man's butler asked though he already knew the answer, "I should really look into this Domino's everyone talks so much about."

**xxxxxxx**

she read while he swung.

As she turned a page, he turned on a parry.

She pondered while he focused.

She envisioned a sweeping epic with a dashing hero, great adventures, and a princess in disguise who helps the unknowing prince.

He was envisioning a desperate battle where the fate of his loved ones hinged on his strength and skill where defeat was not an option.

When she closed the pages of her book, he sheathed his sword.

They turned to each other and she waved while he smiled.

When they heard an explosion she worriedly frowned while he turned to the explosions source. Something was attacking their new home.

She knew that he would go out to fight it and wouldn't be alone. He knew that part of her didn't want him to go, but he would have to.

The King of Fanelia gently pecked his fiancee on her forehead before she too his face into her hands and locked her lips with his.

They released before the city was destroyed amidst their passion. He turned and ran for the edge of their home's roof and leapt from its edge. She walked to the railing of that edge and watched a great creature of the sky soar through the air bearing wings of majestic size and beauty...

**xxxxxxxx**

Digging.

One would think that this is the last thing that he would ever want to do since its something he's done all his life.

But he liked digging.

Or to be specific, drilling.

That's why he had no problem with drilling holes in the soft soil so that his friends could plant a garden. It was hard at first, he had to be careful not to dig down too far or else the seeds might fall off into the other side of the world.

If that was actually possible.

His Older Bro did it at least once.

With the last hole made, the boy jumped back to look on his handiwork. Five blocks of soil covered with perfectly symmetrical holes for his friends to start their garden. One block would have plants that you could make bread from, another had one that you could make medicine from, the third was for something called a Mustard Seed that grows into very tasty fruit called Mangos and the last two were for whatever flowers that they wanted to grow.

One of his friends promised to find a seed for a cake that she promised him, but could never get around to making.

Just when he thought about that delicious cake, the ground shook, sending dirt into the holes that he had made as the ground vibrated from an explosion not far from his district. The boy didn't move, his face reflected determination and strength while he threw his shovel into the air, when it came back down, Simon caught a small miniature drill that glowed with green luster.

Time to fight the Powah.

**xxxxxxx**

"Been long road hasn't it?"

Having just woken up way past noon, the young man yawned and decided to look on the single cloud in the sky.

To think that his folks named him after that puffy thing in the sky.

Knowing how his dad was, he thought that it was a great name and while his mom was much more sensible, she gave in just to make his father happy and the name stuck.

"Bit!" That was his girlfriend for the past year and a half, probably ticked because he used her toothbrush, "Stay right where you are so I can kick your ass!"

He loved her so much.

"Some days I really hate you Bit Cloud-" The girl stopped just behind him, noticing something on the ground level that made her grab her boyfriend's head and stir it's gaze from the sky to the city, "What is that?"

"A diamond." The zoids warrior casually answered while the levitating diamond fired a moving laser at the source of the explosions that occurred away from it's body, "And it's attacking the city..."

"Aren't you going to...do something about it?"

"How come there's only one cloud right now-"

"Bit!"

"Alright...I'll go..." The warrior gave in with hands raised above his head, "How come you're not coming with me?"

"Why is my gunsnipper under repairs?"

"And we'll come back to this after the singing diamond is gone."

**xxxxxxxx**

The boy lost track of which song he was playing now.

He'd been on his violin for so long that he lost track of how many movements and themes that he'd even gone through by now.

He was probably on Bach's Suite No. 1 Prelude in G major, but it didn't matter. The boy would keep playing regardless of the song.

He had played this violin since he was five years old and kept going because no one told him to stop. An irony of sorts though, people passing him on the sidewalk would always say that he played really well and should apply for a professional symphony.

But, he was master of nothing.

As much as he had supposedly mastered this violin, he was no different from it in some respects. As soon as he was done with the violin, he would put it away in a a case until he felt like coming back just to make the instrument work to his whims and desires before putting it away to be neglected again.

So why bother toying with the violin? Why not just bash it against the wall of his small room and throw it away to the trash instead of giving it any false hope? The sounds and songs of this violin would not attributed to the violin, but to the man playing the song. The true master who knows how to pull the strings to make the violin do exactly what it wanted-

The boy was rocked from his chair by a violent shake.

He stood up quickly and went to the window to see a UC 80 GM lying on its back...or at least most of it...it was missing its head after all. Off to the distance, the boy's eyes widened when he saw a levitating diamond emit a powerful beam and fire into another section of the city.

Was it an angel? The same one that he'd killed over a month ago?

* * *

**Angel Groove Kaiba Corperation Command Center**

"Seto! The city's being attacked again!" Mokuba cried as the alarm sounded in the complex and everyone scambled to their positions.

"Shut up Mokuba. Its only the third time this whole week." Kaiba coldly said while the rest of the room panicked like headless chickens, "I spend ten percent of my company's multi-billion income to fund this rabble and they can barely put up a ten minute fight. I knew I shouldn't have cut the boot camp program."

"Seto! Assemble the team!" The Head of Optimus Prime commanded from an oversized Fish Jar (Seto decided to be mean)

"You know they'll get f*&!ed within five minutes right?" Kaiba asked, knowing full well what was being demanded.

"The angel's must be stopped...no matter the cost." Optimus warned in such a way that no one could argue with.

"Fine. Mokuba call the pansies over here." Kaiba relented, knowing that the damage would be increased with their arrival.

"Got it bro!" Mokuba agreed, happy to feel important.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in my Grade S bunker buying rival company assets and then selling them back for 50 times the original." Kaiba called out as he went to the elevator, "And stay out of my chair Mokuba."

"Darn it!" Mokuba cried out in disappointment, until he went ahead and sat in the Command Chair with his brother absent, "I own this city too you little-"

"Little what?" Mokuba jumped when an projection of his brother appeared above the Command Crew, "And are you in my chair?"

"What if I was?"

"I'd put you into Death-T and make you watch the Phantom Menace."

"But I actually liked that movie-"

"IN 3D!" The entire room grew chill from the very notion of watching such a boring movie in three dimensions, "So are you in my chair?"

"No..." Mokuba quietly slipped out of the chair and quickly stood at an empty console, "See bro?"

"Good Mokuba...good...now call the damn rangers!"

* * *

**Angel Groove District 6**

"Commander Armada!" Terry Sanders called out from his heavily FUBAR'ed mobile suit, the battle had taken a toll on him. Especially since his arm was now litterly hanging on by a thread of flesh.

"Terry! What's the current status?" Shiro Armada inquired from his Ez-08 as DF reinforcements shored up the gaps in the battered perimeter.

"Bad...we hit it with everything we had," Terry started while trying to put his arm back onto its socket, "Tanks, artillery, air strike, naval bombardment, orbital bombardment, Freeze Ray, Shrink Ray, Haki, N2 Mine, H2 Mine, Napalm, Dresden, Tear gas, Chicken Flu, giving it Aids-"

"Okay I get the point!" Shiro barely kept from puking, "Let's set a perimeter with the remaining forces to keep it contained."

"Yes sir!" Terry and the rest of the group said.

"Wait...wheres the rest of your unit?" Shiro suddenly noted the lack of comlinks and saw that the enemy Diamond was standing in the middle of town unopposed.

"Us." Shiro looked around to find that the only ones left were Terry, an unconcious Eleanor, Michael who was making out with Kikki, and that crazy ass ace from the White Fang, Milliondo?...yeah, Shiro didn't argue with the hopelessness of the situation.

"Shiro! Its them!" A before thought dead redshirt cried while everyone else cheered since this was a practical que to skidu.

"Bout damn time!" Shiro didn't need to sound a retreat, the others had already started running when he turned around. Not much for stupidity, he followed after them without much problem.

* * *

**Angel Groove District 15**

"Seventy percent of the entire Angel Grove Defense force was defeated by a singing diamond named Remiel," Roger Smith reported while overlooking the city with his reluctant teammates while Simon the Digger epically looked at the Levitating Diamond in question.

"Singing daimond? Whats so bad about-" Bit Cloud's question was silenced when the Singing Diamond fired a blast that destroyed the bunkers housing 4'Kids executives in the mountains...destroying the mountains in the process, "...Did it just level an entire mountain range?" Shinji Ikari, had just pissed himself upon remembering a similar incident he had a while ago.

"We need mecha zord power now!" Van cried while the others followed suit and lightning started striking the sky despite the fact that it was a clear day and initiated the following sequence:

Roger took out his watch and called into it, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shots out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

Shinji's clenched his teeth and cried at the top of his wimpy voice, "Evangelion Unit 01 ready to launch!" Nearby, an Energy Cross shot out of lake and split apart show a levitating Evangelion Unit 01.

Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero!" At once, Liger Zero jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne lets do this!" A giant rock appears out of nowhere and Escaflowne breaks out of the giant rock and kneels down behind Van.

Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon.

"Ultra Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." A computerized voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form.

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings and allowed the guymelef to screw on.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets. The boasters of Jaeger also formed into Mecha Lord's

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Ultra-Mecha Lord! Activated!" The pilots cried from their consoles while the Ultra-Mecha Lord stood formidably on the battlefield.

On each console screen, a message scrolled across that read:**_ Cast in the name of God, yee not guilty_**. "Alright, Ultra-Mecha Lord, lets go!"

While the others accepted it, Shinji was not as happy with his message:**_ Cast in the name of God, yee a pussy_**. "Damn it all..." But before the Ultra-Mecha Lord could do anything else, the Singing Diamond fired its laser...with no time to anything else after just assembling...lets just say it wasn't pretty.

* * *

**District 33 Emergency Bunker**

"Sounds bad up there."

"I've heard worse happen," The Class Representative assured her roommate while they sat with a large group of younger children taking shelter underneath their academy. Most were quiet, but a few wimpered or cried in fear before an older student, teacher, adult or parent came to comfort them. What chilled the Class Representative was how calm most of the children were.

As if they'd been through this before.

"Are we going to die Miss Representative?"

"Nokami, you don't have to call me that. Just call me Miss Horaki," The representative assured the girl with a single pig-tail, "And no, we are not going to die."

"Then we are we underground again? Isn't that where people go to wait to die?"

"We're not here to wait to die, we're waiting for the defense force to stop the monster," Hikari's roommate confidently corrected the child, "You hear all that noise? That's the sound of our boys beating that crystal from one side of Angel Groove to the other! You'll be back in school in less than an hour!"

To that, many children grumbled.

"No buts! And you still have to turn those reports in!" The class representative smirked when the children became lively with noise and complaint. She probably would give them an extension due to the damage that was being done above them, but she wasn't going to tell them that.

Yet.

"Hey!" One of the older students called from a balcony a level up from most of the kids, "I've got a live feed from the surface! Who wants to watch some asskicking in the making!"

"Watch your language!" The representative quickly found her own voice drowned out by the numerous cheers for the live feed, "Where did you get this feed?"

"My dad works in the AGIB," The student answered while linking his phone into a usb port, "And here we go!" Once done, a nearby screen began to project what was happening in the city's fifteenth district. Most of the district was in ruins with buildings destroyed and pieces of DF mobile suits thrown across the landscape.

In the center, was Mecha Lord.

It stood smoked and scorched in a burnt out crater with a single sword in it's hand as it faced off with the levitating diamond in front of it. Just it took a single step, the diamond reformed itself into a spiked chaotic form before charging a screaming spark of energy that erupted and fired a swift beam of energy that consumed Mecha Lord where it stood.

"You okay Hikari?"

"I've...seen that thing before..." The class representative managed, "Kids...I'm giving you another week."

The children may not have been listening, they were too glued to the screen as Mecha Lord slashed through the beam and seemingly cut the diamond in half. The diamond practically glued itself back together and formed into a pentagonal shape that fired five smaller beams that converged into a greater one that struck down Mecha Lord again.

"This is gonna be a long night."

* * *

**Two Hours later...In the Kaiba Corp Command Center**

To say that Seto Kaiba was not happy would be a bit of an understatement, "Can one of you explain what the f*%$ just happened today?" He tapped his foot waiting for one of the heavily bandaged pilots to answer.

"We got our asses kicked?" Bit asked despite his broken jaw.

"How the hell did anyone find you competent?" Kaiba said to himself when Shinji dropped a cup of hot chocolate onto his broken knee.

"Well they did get shot while-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Kaiba commanded as he continued "I will not tolerate excuses when the billions I invested in your little toys amounts to another pile of scrap."

"This coming from the man who runs a company based on a children's card game and flies around in a jet shaped like a blue eyed white dragon." Smith, the least injured, stated, "Which is also based on the children's card game."

"I'm sorry, were you saying something Mr. Smith?" Kaiba responded with annoyance, "Or is your memory problem acting up?"

"Your getting a bit testy why don't you go cry to your mother," An offended Roger shot back, "Or thats right, you don't have one do you?"

"Look, I respect that all of you made a difficult decision-"

"You bought from the pirates who kidnapped me and then threatened to bomb my school if i didn't come," Shinji pointed out, "Don't think I had much of a choice."

"You had me thrown into prison for the bulls&%^ charge of molesting a whole class of underage boys and killing a litter of puppies!" A pissed Bit added

"You threatened to sell the weaknesses of Fanelia's defenses to the highest bidder!" Van yelled while pointing his sword at Kaiba's throat

"To be honest, you hired me to negotiate a company merger." Roger calmly stated as he brought out a contract "Nothing in the contract about this job."

"You promised that there would be cake!" Everyone paused and uniformarly stared at Simon's epic outburst, "What? People die for a cookie where I'm from."

"In other words, don't blackmail and draft us as your personal swat team and expect the best results!" Bit yelled while the other pilots nodded with pain.

"Fine! You can all quit and go home for all I care," Kaiba yelled with apparent frustration, "But will you truly be able to go back to your lives after turning your backs on millions who are being butchered as we speak?" To add to his point, Kaiba activated the view-screen to show Remiel, AKA the Singing Diamond, reeking havoc on the city. The screen then focused on a little girl and her puppy who had been horribly maimed and burned by the attack as they were slowly crushed by debris.

"Damn it! I'm not supposed to run away!" Shinji resolved/whined with fisted hands.

"I better get paid for this!" Bit warned with his hand clutching his face.

"Man...Hitomi's gonna throw me into the dog house!" Van complained, "Which means poll dancing..."

"Guess I'll have to put off dinner." Roger brought his cell to tell Norman about his tardiness.

"Hope Yoko and Kamina won't get worried about me." Simon muttered as he recalled Kamina beating him senseless for being a minute past curfew last week.

* * *

**An Epic Beach in an Epic Country where everyone's physical prowess is equal to one of the 300!**

Meanwhile, Kamina and Yokko were on a date on a beach...with Yoko in swimwear that makes her normal outfit look conservative...and that says a lot...

Yoko was feeling...moody and decided to take a chance, "So...Simon's still out so...do you want to-"

"Do five hundred push ups while being weighed down by a two ton barbell?" Kamina asked while holding up a two ton barbell with one finger.

"No...we could get more comfortable and...bond?" Yoko suggested with a suggestive stare and bending over to show Kamina a glimse of her goods.

"Okay...By laying waste to that whole platoon of Shinra Soldiers!" Kamina stated while pointing at the hundreds of Shinra soldiers who were foolishly trying to ambush them.

"YOUR AN IDIOT YOU KNOW THAT?" Yoko yelled while pulling out her gun and firing a Spiral Shot that killed 3/4's of the soldiers and scared the rest into hiding, "I...want to have...SEX...WITH YOU!"

At first Kamina just stared blankly and then asked, "Honey? Why didn't you just say so?" He then grabbed Yoko and gave her the fiercist kiss any man could give.

"Wait...the Shinra Soldiers...they'll see us." She said amidst their increasingly hot make-out, but Kamina pushed her down into the sand.

"Let em watch!" Kamina yelled as he leapt down and took their session to epic levels while the Shinra soldiers hid in man-made pools of their own cowardace...wait that isn't cowardice!

* * *

**Back to the Team**

"Okay then...get back into Mecha-Lord!" Kaiba commanded, _"Heh heh! I knew those lessons in Mental Inception would pay off."_

"Before we do that, we need to work out who's who." Roger pointed out, realizing that formal positions would be the best way to help out their shaky team formation.

"You mean...who's the leader? Who's the white ranger? Blah blah?" Bit asked while shaking his hair.

"I thought that we already agreed on that." Van brought up, "I'm the Green Ranger, Shinji's Purple, Roger's Black, Bit's White, and Simon's Red."

"Actually...can I be the blue ranger?" Shinij meekly asked.

"Sure why not." The others agreed, color wouldn't change that he was a pussy after all.

"Hang on!" Van complained while taking off his bandages, "Why can't I change my color? Why is Bit the white ranger?"

"Cause Liger is white!" Bit argued.

"So is Escaflowne!" Van pointed out.

"You have green crystals in its shoulders!" Bit brought up, pointing to a fanart of Escaflowne in the backdrop of SasuNaru Yaoi that made Shinji and Simon cringe in horror, "That counts as green!"

"Oh yeah? What about that slowass panzer armor?" Van mocked while showing a video of Liger Zero fail horribly at jumping a canyon in the Panzer armor.

"Shut the hell up!" Kaiba commanded, obviously tired of this pointless bickering, "Alright! Simon's Red, Shinji's Blue, Bit's Green, Van is Pink, and Roger's Black and the leader!"

"Why the hell am I pink?" Van complained with good reason.

"Why does Roger get to be the leader?" Simon demanded with epic rage.

"Because a robot from the future said so!" Everyone went quiet after Kaiba's statement which made him reply, "What? It's more believable the bulls#*& backstories all of you have."

"Card Games on motorcycles!" Shinji burst out to all but the pilots horror.

"CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES! JUST F*$ THIS WORLD AND EVERYONE IN IT! Kaiba cried as he sprouted white dragon wings and started shooting blasts throughout the command center. Ironically causing no property damage, but killing a fourth of the staff present.

"The fate of our world hinges on those six men..." Optimus sadly remarked while Kaiba continued his rampage, "God help us all."

* * *

**Angel Groove Defense Force Hanger**

"How is everyone?" Shiro didn't expect an answer, after the ass-kicking that the Defense Force had received, the Commander was grateful that anyone had even bothered showing up at all.

"Fine sir." Armada nodded to the bandaged Lieutenant whose unit had been broken across the concrete when they covered the retrieval of the Mecha Rangers.

"Look, I'm not gonna preach out your ears about how we should fight regardless of the odds." Shiro stated, addressing the multiple discouraged pilots in the room, "But this city is our home..."

"Oh here we go!" Eleanor grumbled while several others followed. Since this wasn't an official military, Shiro didn't technically have any authority to keep these pilots from ever complaining about how much of a thankless job they had.

"We used to be many things before we came here." Shiro continued as he regained the assembled member's attentions, "Federation MS pilots, Terrorists, Rebels, ODST, Marines, Secret Service, Mafia, Triads, Axe Gang, Bouncers, and a lot of shit that I've never even heard of. We left all of that behind us when we came here."

"Strip all of that aside, what are we?" The former 8th MS commander asked, "We are men and women; parents and siblings; friends and rivals; allies and adversaries; a band of misfitted outcasts who have to somehow work together to protect this city that got scrapped together."

"But this city is our home, and the home of our children." He reminded the pilots as he felt their spirits rise with hope and determination. "And if we won't fight for it, who will? Well boys!" The Defense Force roared back in answer, ready to take the fight to this diamond even if it meant death.

But if they were going to die, they'd give hell before they did.

"The Mecha Rangers are redeploying sir." Hearing the message, Shiro gulped and readdressed his team.

"In that case, stand down men." Shiro commanded as the Defense Force calmed down though they were still puzzled and a few were disappointed that they wouldn't get another crack at the diamond.

"Aren't we still going out sir-"

"Hell no!" Sargeant Foley called out to one of the complaining pilots while Shiro just sat down and relaxed.

"I thought we were ready to fight the Diamond-"

"You kidding maggot?" Foley asked as if the private was an idiot, "If we deploy alongside the Mecha Rangers, we'll more likely die in the crossfire! Hell, they'll probably kill us while losing track of the real enemy!"

"But what about all that talk about protecting our home?"

"If we go up too then we'll cause more damage than they'll cause by themselves..." Karan noted while reading through the reports from the last attack, "Especially with Ikari's kid on board."

"Don't get me started!" A former Intelligence agent laughed, "That boy needs therapy."

"Nah...he just needs to get laid." Michael optimistically assured, likely drawing from his own experience...

"Now ya see why we're not going out there?" Terry asked as he tightened the bandaged on his reattached arm, "Just sit back and enjoy the fireworks."

"I know I am." Foley said before looking around for his favorite doormat, "Ramirez! Grab me a beer!"

"You're not supposed to drink while on duty sir-"

"But we're not on duty private! Now get me my drink!"

* * *

**What used to be Angel Groove District 5**

"Mecha Lord! Action!" Rogers called as Mecha Lord confronted the unmoving Singing Diamond who actually has a cool Jewish name that no one can remember for some reason. It marched ahead while the Diamond started to reform itself to fire the laser that almost totaled Mecha Lord last time.

When the laser fired, Mecha Lord brought back it's arm and formed an energy drill that it punched into the incoming laser. At first, the laser and drill strove against each other equally, until a before pushed out piston punched into Mecha Lord's shoulder and caused the drill to fire through the laser and crash through the Diamond's upper portion.

"Alright! Who knew that Spiral Power and an AT field could be so deadly." Simon noted as the Ultra-Mecha Lord threw another AT Piston Drill out of it's arm that crashed through the Diamond's barrier and struck it in it's lower area. It then formed it's hands into claws and started dashing for the motionless diamond and slashed through it's AT field with little effort as it popped out it's pistons.

Just before the claws hit their marks, the pistons shot back into place to increase the velocity of the claws and literally carve chunks out of the Diamond. It shrieked in pain as Mecha Lord drew out a sword and delivered a Piston empowered downward slash that almost cut the diamond in half and shot it across the district.

"Yeah! And that Strike Piston Claw was awesome!" Bit remarked while smoke steamed from Mecha Lord's arms.

"That Piston Sword Slash was my favorite!" Van boasted while the Diamond reformed itself and cried as if in challenge to Mecha Lord.

"Okay guys...lets end this!" Simon decided while everyone prepared to end the battle. The Singing Diamond fired one more laser to try and save itself, but it was no match for the force that was emitted from the following attack:

"**BERSERK A.T. STRIKE LASER DRAGON BLADE PISTON GIGAAAA DRILLLLL PUNNNNCCCHHHH!**" Then the Singing Diamond was utterly erased from all existence when Ultra-Mecha Lord struck. It then crossed its arms over its chest in pride while the rest of the city remained more ruined than before.

Afterall, 4,000 people were killed in the crossfire between the two behemoths and some of them were puppies. But that didn't stop the people from cheering while they watched the battle from wherever they happened to be, be it the shelters, basements, top of buildings, or in Tokyo.

"Well that went well." Roger breathed as the team celebrated.

"Alright! That was Great Liger!" Bit told the machine while patting his console.

"Naw...it was all Escaflowne." Van's disagreement led to a close-quarters fistfight between him and Bit while the rest of the team ignored them.

"Bulls^%&, Eva was the backbone of this whole...whatever it was it!" Shinji's argument, got him pulled into the fight and was too much of a wimp to do anything except act as a punching bag.

"Lagann's the one that channeled our hot blooded manliness!" Simon shouted as he jumped into the dogpile and proceeded to kick ass while Smith took a nap in his seat.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"...Kids..." Optimus reflected with a tone of embaressment, "Where are all of their parents?"

"Abandoned by father after mother died in freak accident involving a purple mecha," Kaiba began while reading the background reports of the pilots, "...Doesn't remember parents, parents horribly crushed in horrible underground collapse, Implied to be an orphen, and parents died at a young age."

"Bit's an orphen...just like us." Mokuba sadly realized as he and his brother watched the Rangers on the viewscreen.

"Shut up Mokuba." Kaiba coldly commanded as he reviewed the unedited forgery of the Pilot's wills and focused on a particular line, "Who would name their son Bulgus?"

* * *

**Lunar Cathedral**

"Silly, silly humans." Tabris, messenger of Free Will sat upon the surface of the earth's moon. He often enjoyed this view, watching the epicenter of humanity rotate without a care in the world.

Unlike it's inhabitants...unlike those frightened creatures who were practically afraid of standing still. He did not blame them, he pitied them. They were so afraid of the end that they could not understand what a blessing it was to even have an end.

Around him were many white spears that were embedded within the landscape of the area. One had been thrown in order to revive a previously fallen brother, but he had already failed yet again.

He would not give the same priviledge to any others amongst the messengers to come.

"My red baroness awaits me," Tabris mused as he sat up and walked over to one of the lances and lightly ran his hand down the pale white shaft. Power and hunger resonated from within it, begging to be released, "Patience my friend, soon the angel's grove shall be ours and with it...ascension."

Freedom...

"Tabris." Tabris raised his gaze to the newcomer who stood upon the entryway of the abandoned cathedrel, "You should not be here."

"It's you Lillith." Tabris smiled though stern frown of the blue-haired deserved a similar feature, "Concerned that I intend to harm Shinji-kun? I don't...I was...curious."

"Your actions probe my curiosity as well." The holder of Lillith's soul replied, "Curiosity as to whether or not you would put up a struggle if I choose to end you."

"End me? It is unwise of us to conflict before my appointed time." Tabris stated, still smiling despite the aggressive undertone of Lillith's monotone voice, "Did you come here of your own will Lillith? Or did he send you?"

"Who do you mean?"

"That answer should be obvious...but it is not."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Alright, a little history about this story and the chapter that you've just seen.**

**Originally, I'd made this as a fun one-shot that made of fun of what would happen if you got a bunch of anime mecha pilots and placed them in an absurd power rangers-esque situation.**

**I even added 2 more chapters as you'll see eventually that poked more fun at the characters...come chapter 4 and...it became something more.**

**Superb Awesomeness or Epic Silliness? I'll let you be the judge of that.**

**To those who've been following me since I first posted the story in 2010, consider this a sneak peak at the Extended Cut that I'll be posting while working on the finale of the first season. If you have any questions that you'd like me to answer in this Cut or something that you want me to expand on, then PM me or add it in a review and I'll do my best. Plus, I felt like I should update the quality of the first few chapters of the story as something more appropriate for a multi-chapter tale.**

**Thanks you for your support; Read, Review and Enjoy!**


	2. Slippery Street

**The Day after Tomorrow**

**_Kaiba's Office, Two days later  
_**

"Congratulations, you killed a singing diamond," Kaiba mockingly complemented to a listening Roger Smith, "Considering that it nearly killed you and managed to destroy a fifth of the city, I ought to congratulate you somehow."

"Well, for starters," Roger placed a suitcase on the table and opened it to reveal a large stack of documents, "This is the list of charges, injuries and bills you could compensate us on. Which shouldn't be too hard to-"

"Oh look, a summary of damages and collaterol that the battle produced," Kaiba commented with obviously fake curiosity, "Well I guess I can use your compensation charges to fund the repairs to the city."

"Wait a minute," Roger wasn't one to back down so easily, "Can't you pay for the damage yourself?"

"Yeah so?" As many now broke businessmen knew, Kaiba was also one to not back down.

"That's against ethical conduct isn't it?" Roger pointed out.

"Screw ethics, I have money." Kaiba simply shot back, "And a lot of it, so don't tempt me to have you silenced, no one'll even think of pressing an investigation."

"Well...guess what," Roger however had dealt with types slightly more lethal than Kaiba and knew how to handle them, "Between myself and the others, we know nine-tenths of the people you'd hire to come after us. And they like us better than you."

"Anything else?" Kaiba wasn't surprised or affected of course.

"No one else can pilot our mechs," Roger mentioned to which Kaiba glanced over the reports of damage caused by the mecha, "And some them will get angry if their pilots are killed...especially mine." It was at this point that Kaiba remembered what the Old Men had warned him about and quickly made a decision.

"They call you the Negotiator for a reason don't they?" Kaiba asked as he signed a single document and gave it to Roger.

"Comes with the job," Roger said as he placed the paper into a folder and stood up to leave. Kaiba meanwhile, waited until Roger left to bring out a copy of Never Ending Story 3 and proceeded to mash it into little pieces with his bare hands.

* * *

**_Newgate Academy, Angel Groove District 33_**

Roger closed the classroom door behind him and just walked up to his desk. While he knew the main reason for being in this city, he knew it wouldn't hurt to gain an alternative profile and thus, took on this latest job.

"Hello, I'm Roger Smith," Roger stated to his very odd class. There was no dress code or age limit, so it was...interesting to say the least, "It looks like I'll be teaching you Negotiation Ethics and well...its frustrating."

"First, I'd like to hear from some of you," Roger explained, deciding to try and set a preview for what to expect, "What do you think of when you hear about negotiators?"

"Guys who mediate hostage situations?" said a kid in a bright orange jumpsuit.

"Okay, anyone else?"

"Lawyers?" said a kid with spiky black hair and an orange gi with a blue long sleeved undershirt and black belt.

"Fair enough, any more?"

"Guys who get gunned down and have their bodies cut up and fed to the dogs and then those dogs are killed and sent to the guy who hired the negotiator so that they could cut open the dogs and see the still digesting remains inside of them?" Roger was all too amazed at how much these kids were exposed to. But the simple looking kid with the straw hat took the cake.

"...As much as the risk remains...that's not an image I'd associate with my job," Roger answered, trying very hard not to remember the times he almost had that happen to him, "My job is to learn what everyone wants and then find ways for the parties to work it out."

"That doesn't sound hard..." A man with a clean trim and a big black sword strapped to his back stated

"And trust me, I wish that it was as easy as it sounds," Roger joked, "But let me tell you about how I met my wife..."

_Thirty Minutes Later..._

"Did you ever find out what happened to the real Dorothy Wayneright?" A five year old with glasses who Roger could tell had much more intelligence than the average five year old.

"Died of AIDs several years ago," Roger answered almost heartlessly while the kid just nodded as if he had deducted it, "She...wasn't exactly virtuous."

"Is doing your wife like trying to stick a hot dog into a toaster?" One of the rudder students asked which got a snicker from a few of the students.

"Rule #37 of a Negotiator," Roger recited before walking up to the early twenties young man and slapping him hard enough to knock him out, "Never insult another man's wife, it never ends well...anymore questions?"

"How did you have a daughter with an android?" A kid with a puffy hat and a brown winter coat asked.

"The same way that we're all in the classroom of a school ran by a Pirate Lord," Roger began, "God willed it."

"I don't believe in God!" Another boy in an orange overcoat that left only his eyes and nose exposed said through his muffles.

"Neither did I and then I became a father." Roger simply explained as the class continued. He let the students out early since they actually did start up a pretty engaging conversation. Since he only had one class for the day, he was practically free to either leave or stay in his office and counsel troubled students. On his way out to lunch, Roger decided to take a look at some of the other classes. One in particular, killed his appetite.

"Hey kids! Welcome to class!" Iruka said as the class sat into place and dulling waited to see what he'd do. As Roger noted, the nice teachers tended to be overlooked as push-overs and not taken as seriously. But this guy, he seemed to kind-hearted to not be up to something.

"For the record, I tend to give out only two grades in my classes." The instructor explained while the class perked up at the prospect of not having to work very hard. Since some of these students had scholarships, it was somewhat inevitable.

"And all of this depends on finishing your only assignment..." While Iruka went on, one of the older trouble-making students snuck over to the table and reached out to grab a cookie. Roger knew that the instructor saw this, but what he saw next, surprised him.

"Survive." Roger's eyes widened when a metal jawed snare clamped off the boy's arm. The boy hollared in pain as the rest of the class stared from the boy to their still kind natured and smiling instructer.

"That's right folks, my class is dedicated to surviving the worst cases you'll be likely to come across." Iruka clarified as the young boy cried over the arm he just lost, "So try to pay attention cause there's no redo for dying." The boy's screams grew dimmer as some nurses appeared and took him away to the medical office.

"And I complained about my professors." Roger mused as he walked down the hall and to the rest of the day.

* * *

**_Angel Groove Defense Force Rally Point...too late in the night for this *censored*_**

"Enemy spotted!" The soldier on the other line called as the seargent listened, "Its...oh Lord!" The line cut out just after the sounds of screaming and bones being ripped and crunched screeched through the intercomm.

"We lost West Sentry sir!" A soldier on another line reported, "But..it looks similar to the monster that attacked New York three years ago."

"...Cloverfield..." Seargeant Folly realized, having a not so great flash to losing half of his platoon saving some idiot college kid, "Set a perimeter within the West District and call Kaiba!"

"Already done!" The soldier said as the ground began to shake from artillery fire. "It'll probably take em awhile to get here, it'll have to stalled for a moment."

"Thought you'd never ask," One of the soldiers sarcastily stated as the command comm went off, "I knew I should've gotten the transfer to Tokyo-3."

"Cut the chatter!" Folly turned to the infantry officers and called out his orders, "Ghost, get to the perimeter and see about laying down some mines! Jackson, take the chopper and evac the wounded! Ramirez! Use your smoke grenade to blind the monster while we fall back!"

"But how am I supposed to do that with this little-"

"Don't argue with me private! Allen never did and damn it neither will you!" As stupid as the order was, Ramirez did have bills to pay. So he grabbed a smoke grenade and ran into the direction of where tanks were firing.

"Where the hell is Allen! Tired of this unit!" Ramirez yelled as he entered the fray. Why didn't he just leave the corp after Battle Los Angeles?

* * *

**_Kaiba Estate, Angel Groove_**

"This better be good!" Kaiba sternly stated as he answered the phone from bed. He nodded as an obviously scarred officer gave him the details, "What? Cloverfield...why are you calling me about that? Alright...you know you're paying for-" The man painfully screamed as something started to crush his body, Kaiba hung up the phone before he heard anymore. Then he picked it up again, only to hang up when the screaming continued. Five minutes passed before Kaiba made his call.

"Dorris? Assemble the team!" Seto commanded, he grew very annoyed when he heard a stupid response, "Then wake them!" He slammed down the phone and pulled the covers back over his head, only for Mokuba to run in, panting like he'd run a marathon.

"Seto! The city's under attack again-"

"Shut up, Mokuba. I'm trying to sleep." Kaiba commanded as he closed his eyes to sleep.

"Optimus said that if you didn't get to the Command Center you'd have to listen to a recording," Seto's eyes shot open when realized exactly which recording the cybernetic head was likely referring to.

"Alright. Just don't play that record." A defeated Kaiba grumbled as he got out of bed. Mokuba shrugged and ran back to the command center while Seto calmly strode through the halls, taking care to not wrinkle his sexy-ass coat.

* * *

**UN Headquarters**

"This Assembly will come to order!" The Chair of the Security General Assembly declared while hammering his gavel to silence the bickering delegates, "Any motions on the floor?"

"The representative from the Britannian Holy Empire is recognized." The Chair stated while motioning for a delegate in Victorian robes to stand from his extravagant chair, "Please remember that motions for the world to yield to the rule of your empire are invalid and any further motions in such a nature will see you ousted from this Assembly."

"Noted," The gentleman calmly said while a ridiculously attractive young man in black sat behind him, "The delegation of Britannia motions for the ousting of the United States of America and for a coalition of forces to invade and pillage them with their core territories returning to the rightful rule of the Britannian Emperors."

"After you kiss my ass!"

"Decorum delegates! DECORUM!" The Chair pounded his gavel while security where Grey Helms stepped between the delegates from the US and Britannia, "That motion cannot be put to the floor, are there any others?"

"Motion to send a Grey Helmet brigade to assist Angel Groove."

"For what purposes would this be honorable delegate from the Sanc Kingdom?"

"To assist in relief in light of recent attacks by various anomalies." The woman from the Kingdom of Pacifists stated, "Including the Cloverfield Monster that is attacking them this very instant."

"This does seem serious..." The Chair agreed while he heard murmering in the aisles, "Do I hear a second to this motion?"

"SPARTA SECONDS THIS MOTION!"

"Second..."

"Second."

"Hearing Seconds from the delegations of Side 8, Ethiopia and SPARTA!" The shirtless Delegate from Sparta shouted alongside the chair "Do I hear any speaker who would like to speak against this motion apart from the delegation from the Italian Mafia."

"I make you dead..."

"The Chair reminds delegates that threats of violence and murder will have you thrown out of this assembly and charged a 30,000 euro fee." The Chair said while the Italian Godfather whispered something in the ear of his fine-ass daughter, "Hearing no opposition, all in favor of a response?"

"All opposed?" One delegate from Germany rose their hand, but no one else did, "The assembly has agreed to respond to this crisis-"

"I thought we were voting on sending a Grey Helmet brigade to relieve them-"

"The Chair does not recognize the Delegation of the Sanc Kingdom at this time." The Chair reprimanded the young man...woman from the Sanc Kingdom, who loudly grumbled and sat down, "Are there in proposals of action?"

"I have a proposal." One representative offered and was recognized by the Chair, "The Delegation of Black Water Inc. moves that this Assembly...does nothing."

"Any seconds?" The Chair asked while the assembly buzzed with dialogue, "Seeing seconds from he delegation of Britannia and the United States, are there any who wish to speak in opposition?"

"Though I see that Ethiopia, Sanc Kingdom, Londo Bell, Sides one through seven, and Israel all wish to speak in opposition..." The Chair read out, "It is very late right now and I'd rather get to bed, so all in favor of doing nothing?"

"Not caring for opposition, this motion passes and this meeting adjorned."

"Global Democracy at work..." The Royal observer in the Britannian Delegation laughed, "The bribe from Seele must've been extravagant..."

"If it makes you feel any better, the Old Men at the Tribunal authorized the Hammer Down Protocol," One of the generals accompanying the delegate from the US said tot he Prince, "In case Kaiba can't handle himself."

"Either way, they win?"

"Exactly."

"Why do people think they can freely tell me things like that..." The Black Prince mused while absently tapping his pen, a specially made pen that he often used to record these loose-tongued idiots, "How many times will it take before they realize that I'll use those words as blackmail?"

* * *

_**Angel Groove District 23...Three Hours Later**_

"Damn...that's one ugly slugfish..." The team heard a bridge bunny comment as they arrived to the scene. A giant amphibian creature was now terrorizing the city for some reason. It walked upright on multiple legs with fins hanging over them and a tail dragging uselessly behind it. Wait...no, it sometimes stood up on the tail to claw bombers from the sky and then somehow propelled itself into the air against all laws of gravity.

"Indeed...and apparently, it's indestructible to the defense forces efforts," Kaiba affirmed while the team listened through Roger's watch, "Hence the reason why I woke all of you up."

"Wasn't there another option man?" Bit complained, "Some of us were close to getting to home run with our-"

"The Old Men threatened to nuke it if you couldn't do it," Everyone's eyes slightly widened when they heard this threat, "Yeah...they make me look nice."

"Well then, lets get to it guys!" Simon called out while almost everyone agreed. Shinji, just looked down and started muttering about not running away while Van shock his head in disapproval.

"By the way, you might want to cut down on deployment time," Kaiba recommended before communications were cut off abruptly. Clover had taken the liberty of uprooting the communication's tower and throwing it like a javelin into one of the Defense Force MS carriers. The team saw that smoke was now covering the monster, likely a tactic to buy them time to call on the mecha.

Roger took out his watch and called upon his partner-in-crime, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shot out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

Shinji's clenched his teeth and steered his "_courage_", "Evangelion! Unit 1!" he cried at the top of his wimpy voice as he leapt into a nearby open hatch. Fortunately the latch widened to reveal Unit 01 pulled up by a levy with Shinji barely managing to climb into the pilot's slot.

Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero!" At once, Liger Zero jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne lets do this!" A giant rock appeared out of nowhere and Escaflowne broke out of the giant rock and kneeled down behind Van.

Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon.

"Aren't we gonna combine?" Simon asked as a low rumble began, the smoke had cleared and Clover was now heading steaight towards them.

"Not if we don't need to," Roger affirmed, the team needed to work on their ethic unless they wanted to repeat "last time", "Besides, this guy doesn't look like it's worth the risk."

"Then stand back and let me handle this!" Van esclaimed as Escaflowne held out its large sword in challenge to the creature.

"Pretty boy, why don't you go back to your little kingdom and let the real pilots fight," Bit teased as Liger Zero roared into the sky.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear you," Van shot back "Maybe I'll hear you better after you kill a dragon on foot!"

"I'd like to see you face a mecha dragon then," Bit replied, "That has a charged particle gun in its throat!"

"Guys!" Shinji yelled pathetically enough to get everyone's attention, "Aren't we trying to kill that oversized...whatever the hell it is?"

"Shinji's right, Mecha Rangers, action!" Roger declared after Big O gave him the usual message: **Ye Not Guilty**, "Alright, Shinji take point as defense, me and Simon will provide fire support! Everyone else, move in on it!"

"Right!" Everyone called out and assumed their positions. Clover charged towards the team when it pinpointed them. It cared little for the buildings it crushed beneath its massive weight as it charged. And was promptly thrown back when Liger and Escaflowne sliced off a pair of its front legs and kicked in the head by Evangelion, double punched in the chest by Big O and rammed in the stomach by Drill-head Lagann. Buildings crushed when the creature landed and tried to stand.

"I thought you were firing support." Shinji asked after that awesome attack.

"Somehow starting out like this seemed more appropriate." Big O went on the offensive, bringing out its massive arms to deliver a series of punches in the monster's jaw. The last punch was cancelled when a tentacle sprang out of monster's fins and slung the black mecha through the air.

"Hang on! I gotta take care of something!" Bit informed everyone as Liger leapt over a city block and starting leaping away from the city limits.

"Taking your own advice I see!" Van yelled as Liger Zero leapt into an open hanger door inside a hill, "Who needs him." That answer was given when Clover swat Escaflowne across the city and then moved in on the others. Shinji moved to grapple it, but the beast was proving to gain the upperhand. That is until a barrage of energy bullets seered into the creature's side, giving Shinji and Simon an opening to knock the beast away with a simueltaneous kick/drill headbutt.

"Wait...you have a gatling gun stored Big-O's arm?" Simon asked as Escaflowne charge tackled the off-balance creature and proceeded to stab it like a Thanksgiving Ham.

"Yeah, makes for a good side weapon," Roger affirmed while he took note of Escaflowne being tossed into the air despite the numerous cuts it gave to the creature.

"Side weapon! You could take out a whole army with that thing!" Simon noted as Evangelion was pulled under the creature's massive form. A stab in the side from Escaflowne and having a chain thrown around its neck allowed the creature get tugged off of the purple mecha while Evangelion formed its AT field under the creature and catapulted it into the air. Escaflowne waited below as it's head was staked by a Escaflowne's sword.

"Yeah...but paying for the reload is a hassle I try to lessen," Roger admitted while the creature pulled itself off and pushed back Escaflowne with a ripping claw. It would have continued if not for clashing with Lagann's drill ornated head. The drill tore through the monster's hand but it enclosed around Lagann and threw it aside.

"Don't you get reimbursed for that?" Shinji asked as Evangelion brought up an AT field to cushion Lagann before it got more damage. Not asking what it was standing against, Lagann pressed off and charge tackled Clover's tail, knocking it off central balance.

"Don't you get a pay check, driver's license, legal independence, free taxes, or legal status as an adult for piloting that mecha monster?" Roger pointed out to the spineless teen. Finding an opening that Simon had created, Big O slammed its fist into Clover's skull to deliver a sound breaking piston punch that blew a large chunk out of the creature's head and seemed to have knocked it onto its chest.

"Come to think of...damn it! Why is dad such a bastard!" Shinji yelled with pure hatred while Clover regained its senses and stood up.

* * *

_**A beach in a super ultra expensive resort**_

"Come to think of it Ikari," Gendo's elder former teacher brought up while sunbathing, "Why haven't we given the pilots legal status as an adult?"

"Think about it Fuyutski," The Commander explained while sipping his wine glass, "The only reason they're so obediant is because they don't realize how reliant on them we really are. Once we grant adult priviledges like a driver's license, a pay check and every other priviledge we adults enjoy...they'll start demanding more as they realize how much of an unfair burden we adults have placed on them and then they'll start using these priviledges to delve into our deep dark secrets, they'll get pissed and revolt against our previously concrete authority and we both know how that will end."

"If it comes to that, why not call the Eva Series to tear them apart?" Fuyutski mentioned.

"Because the Eva Series is inevitably no match for more than one Eva," Gendo admitted without a change in facial features, "Not to mention that they scare the living hell out of me."

"Gendo Ikari scared of something?" A thirty year old blond seductively asked while massaging his head with her bust.

"Shut up and go wait in my room, Dr. Akagi." Gendo commanded while the woman snarled and stomped off to the hotel. "And you better not have more than one article of clothing on when I get there!"

"You do realize that an eight year girl was playing next to you," Fuyutski pointed out, referring to the little girl who just looked from Gendo to Akagi in confusion and shock.

"She'll walk in on her parents eventually." Gendo said as he picked up and flipped open his schoolgirl edition of playboy magazine. Fuyutski shock his head and went back to sleep.

* * *

_**Back to the Action!**_

"I think I have a solution!" Simon shouted, "Roger! Let's combine!"

"Combine? wait what-" Before Roger could object, Lagann had already jumped into the air and slammed itself into Big-O's back. Which caused Big-O's arms to grow larger and sport a red flame along the elongated shoulders, "Can't say I like the red, but I like where your going with this Simon!"

"Alright! Thunder Drill Gatling Cannon, active!" Simon and Roger called out as Big O's form-arms rotated rapdily and began to fire massive energy bullets out of the barrells behind the hand. Most of Clover's tentacles and fins were blown off by the empowered assault.

"Wow...so this is Spiral Power?" Roger noted how much more reactive Big-O seemed, as if Simon's Spiral energy was providing further energy for Big-O to defy its mechanical constraints. "Nice." Thanks to the increased fire support, Clover now found itself caught between a hammer and anvil thanks to Escaflowne's relentless flurry of slashes.

"Sorry I'm late, had to make a little adjustment," Bit announced as a Red Blur jumped up and stabbed through Clover's back, "Say hello to Liger Zero Schneider!" Now Red and armed with side blades, Liger proceeded to climb up the side of the creature's form and stabbed both blades into the shoulder.

"Nice! Your Liger's clean and pretty now!" Van called as he stabbed his sword through Clover's eye and out the back of it's head. The other eye was promptly sniped by Shinji's rifle, who decided to concentrate on precise shots since Big O covered the heavier fire.

"Yeah, I like to give him a good rub down once in a while," Bit admitted as it lodged its claws into Clover's arm and proceeded to rip the massive limb from its socket, "Guess I'll be back at it tonight!"

"Down boy! This is my kill!" Van asserted as Escaflowne's sword was thrust into the monster's stomach. Causing it cry an almost saddening moan that reminded some listeners of a child crying for its mother. Then silenced when Shinji fired a round through its throat effectively destroying its capacity for vocal communication.

"Dude!" Simon objected, "What did you do that for?"

"I thought it was calling for help," Shinji answered while Liger proceeded to climb along Clover's back using its side blades and attempted to widen the bullet wound with its claws while Escaflowne slashed off another leg.

"I know he's the enemy, but there's no need to beat a dying dog," Roger reprimanded as Liger started tearing out the monster's neck with Escaflowne prying open the creature's stomach.

"What about them?" Shinji asked as he pointed to Liger Zero and Escaflowne bathing in the flesh and organs of the monster.

"That's different, they're fighting the monster," "Not causing unnecessary pain by taking away its voice!"

"Are we even needed right now?" Simon asked, noticing that Escaflowne had just ripped off the other arm with it's sword.

"Just stay ready in case something unexpected happens," Roger advised as Escaflowne and Liger circled the seemingly dying creature. It now looked even more sad with it's inability to cry out...and the other injuries the team had done.

"Van and Bit are dicing off its arms, what's the worst that could possibly happen?" At Shinji's inquiry, a translucent lance could be seen hurtling from the sky. The lance then struck Clover in its head and created a shockwave which pushed back Van and Bit.

"...You damn kids...why do you always have to tempt fate!" Roger yelled as the creature started glowing...and growing.

"Note to self...teach daughter to never tempt fate," Roger further commented as the group looked upon the massive new form of Clover. Complete with the twice the limbs and a very pissed off demeanor. "Alright then, lets lay down some covering fire!" Eva and Big O started opening fire while Esca. and Liger started climbing along the creature.

"Shit! Our ammo is bouncing off of its skin!" Simon called angrily as the energy bullets just reflected off of it's tougher skin and start hitting other the other mecha or destroying more and more buildings. "And leveling several bunkers...we need to work on that." It wasn't long until a large tentacle wrapped around Evangelion's leg, hulled it up and started using the Eva to smack around it's teammates as if it were a fly swatter.

The assault continued until it threw the Eva off and away. If anyone were watching you'd think that it was something from JackAss. But no, it landed head first against a designated shelter and laid there for a few minutes.

"Bit, Van," Roger asked as Escaflowne and a limping liger joined the him and Lagann. "How are you guys?"

"See Escaflowne!" Van called out as Clover just stood and looked on the sorry heap they'd become, "Do I look okay to you!"

"What's wrong king? Afraid of getting a little dirty?" Bit teased despite the fact that Liger didn't look much better.

"At least I managed to cut the damn thing!" Van shot back, "Oh wait...what happened to those butter knifes that you had on your liger's sides?"

"I was trying to cut its throat but the blades got stuck in its mouth when it tried to eat me," Bit said while noticing something about Clover's new massively thick neck, "There's one of them, the other one must've been pretty deep..."

"Alright then! Looks like we have a small window," Roger reasoned as Evangelion hopped over to the others. "Lets use it boys!"

Simon beamed with epic excitement, "We're gonna combine!"

Van had a stern discernment within him, "We're going to combine?"

Bit looked puzzeled, "We're gonna combine?"

Shinji was very scared for reason, "We're gonna combine?"

Roger nodded and stated, "We're gonna combine."

"Ultra-Mecha Lord Synchronization go!" Everyone called out as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form.

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets.

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Lord activated," The computer said as Mecha Lord stood ready to face this giant behemoth.

On each console screen, a message scrolled across that read:**_ Cast in the name of God, yee not guilty_**. "Alright, Ultra-Mecha Lord, lets go!"

While the others accepted it, Shinji was not as happy with his message:**_ Cast in the name of God, yee a pussy_**. "Please tell me it'll change its mind right?"

"Who knows. Action!" Roger called out as Mecha Lord just power walked to the giant creature, "We've already established that bullets don't faze it...so lets go for a closer approach!" It leapt up and planted both feet into the creature's chest, sending it flying into the business section of the city. Mecha Lord flipped down and starting into a charging run.

"Right! Time to dish out the Strike Dragon Claw!" Bit said as Mecha Lord's left hand formed a golden claw over the fingers.

"No! Lets use the Dragon Laser Sword!" Van argued as the right hand drew a large sword from the sheath on Mecha Lord's torso.

"I'd recommend cutting down on arguing guys," Roger said as Clover lunged out its arm and struck Mecha Lord across the shoulder. "And so does our little friend." Mecha Lord's eyes glowed white as it grabbed the arm and slung the creature on the other end into a nearby hill...oh, and took off Clover's hand while doing so.

"Nice!" Simon cheered "Why didn't we do this earlier!" Then the entire hill was wrapped into in tentacles and crushed as Clover rose up to it's full height...about 2x Mecha Lord's Size-

**(Factor in that Mecha Lord is about 1 and 1/2 times taller than Evangelion which is barely taller than Big O, twice as big as Escaflowne or Liger Zero and...would have to lean down to be at Lagann's level...oh never mind you get the point.)**

The fins suddenly grew into large long appendages with which Clover rapidly struck Mecha Lord and tossed it up. Then used another appendage to impale the mecha through the stomach and it's arms to pull it further along on the long thick fleshy lance.

"Status report!" Roger called out as the red lights starting flashing, wondering why they didn't have a combined cockpit like the last time.

"AHAHAHAHHHHH!" Shinji's screams echoed through the piloting consules. Given Mecha Lord's predictament, Roger didn't blame him.

"I'm good." Bit called back, "Why are we going back and forth?"

"I'm alright." Van answered and then saw the flashing lights, "This is bad...isn't it?"

"Can I have some more!" Simon called in **epic** battle fury. The kid was pretty brave to say that while Clover was pulling the limp mecha back and forth along the appendage.

"ITT HURTSSSSS!" Shinji cried, Roger was honestly concerned but did wonder if the kid was simply scared. Given that they were being toyed with...again, Roger didn't blame him.

"What's his problem?" Van demanded in annoyance "There's nothing vital in the stomach area." Then the creature pulled Mecha Lord off and just held it chest height and stared very evilly.

"SCREW YOU!" Shinji barked back, apparently over whatever agony he was/wasn't suffering. The monster's dragging tail then gave way and formed into a mass of stingers and nobody wanted to give it a chance to use them.

"Anyway, lets get this guy off of us!" Simon shouted while Mecha Lord brought back its right arm, the forearm suddenly turning into a thick massive drill, "Piston Drilllllaaa!" The arm clove into Cloverfield's upper stomach, followed by the piston force which allowed it to blow deeper into the monster's flesh.

"Wonder what happens when you combine AT field with Strike Laser Claw?" Bit wondered as Mecha Lord's left claw began to glaw with a rainbow blend before digging the claw into Clover's face. The claw stuck inside while monster's skin around it began to furiously burn and melt, "So can we call this Burning Claw?"

"Lets just end this!" Shinji barked as Mecha Lord hulled up the enlarged Clover and narrowed it's eyes for its next action. Namely, ramming into the side of the creature's crotch, horn-first and using the deep entry position to pull the monster apart and throw it's mangled body parts across the city square.

"Shinji! What the hell!" Simon called out in epic shock, seeing as that he had a first hand look, you couldn't blame his wide eyed expression.

"What? The longer the battle drags out, the more damage the city gets," Shinji reasoned with a calm tone that only made everyone more horrified.

"You crossed the line kid!" Van called out, "Never ever go for goods! Especially with an elongated horn!"

"But...I was...just-"

"What kind of thoughts go through your head?" Bit asked as he saw all of the blood covering the mecha, "Cause you're a sick little puppy..."

"I hate you all..." Shinji muttered.

"Alright everyone," Roger said, summoning all of his self-restraint to keep from throwing up, "Lets just get to the hanger and go home." And so Mecha Lord turned and started walking to the hanger. It had been a long battle, but now it was over and stepped on...

Slipping on the blood covering the streets and hitting head-first what seemed like a disembowed intestinal tract.

"Damn it Shinji! This is why we don't rip open the enemy!" Van cried out in pure terror as Mecha Lord pressed against the tract to get up but...failed.

"How was I supposed to know that we'd slip in it?" Shinji cried as Mecha Lord rolled around trying to get up but to no avail.

"That's why you don't turn enemies into blood pools!" Roger chided, suddenly he realized something about a disease and how you get it, "Hell, this thing could've had AIDS for crying out loud!"

* * *

_**Angel Groove Defense Force Command Center**_

Meanwhile, the crew at the Angel Grove command center was reasonably sickened by what just happened. Some thought they just saw something from End of Evangelion, a few were coughing up their last meal.

"Talk about a gornfest," One technician mentioned as his partner ran off to find a place to throw up, "Who's gonna clean all of that blood up!"

"My main priority is protecting the city," Seto pointed out, he and Mokuba were seemingly unaffected by the sight, "The clean up issue is someone else's ballpark."

"But don't you own the-"

"Correction! Mokuba owns the city," Seto corrected.

"Really?" Mokuba had a light in his eyes, as if he had somehow found his brother's approval at last...

"While I stay behind his throne and tell him what to do or else I'll break his kneecaps." Seto said with a smile. Mokuba's light died and he ran off to cry. Nobody blamed him of course, a puppy was probably killed while Mecha Lord slipped around.

"Least we got a sick joke out of the film," One of the less emotional guys pointed while his computer techno partner edited a copy of footage from the fight. "Little electronic magic and..." The partner played the part where Mecha Lord finished off the enemy, first the piston drill, then the claw and finally the headbutt split which tore the monster apart.

"MECHA LORD WINS! FATALITY!" an edited in announcer yelled as Mecha Lord dropped the pieces of Clover.

* * *

**Skies above North America**

"Darkstorm Bravo here, ten minutes from the target." The FF-S3 Saberfish Squad Leader said as he steeled himself to carry out his orders, "Arming payload, awaiting authorization to launch."

"Stand by Darkstorm Bravo." HQ replied as he awaited confirmation for the stain that he was about to have on his conscious, "New intel just came in, the operation has been canned. Return to base, I repeat return to base."

"Understood Overlord." The Squad signed in heavy relief before communicating to his squadmates nearby, "Darkstorm Bravo to all units, we've been ordered home, switch off munitions and prepare for return speed."

"Copy Darkstorm Bravo." One of his four wingmen responded, "Darkstorm Brave here, detecting an unidentified F-22 Raptor bearing down on us from our 8'o clock."

"I see him Brave." The Squad Leader saw the blip on his radar, "Unidentified aircraft, you are flying through protected American space. You are ordered to power down and consent to armed escort. Refuse and we will use deadly force-" The life readings on his rear-starboard wingman went flat as an F-22 Raptor swiftly flew overhead.

"Darkstorm Bold is down! I repeat Darkstorm Bold is down!" Bear responded as his Saberfish fired a cluster of missiles at the Raptor. All of which were destroyed by a ray of plasma fire that the Raptor shot out as it rapidly spun on it's axis, "Since when can F-22's fire plasma bullets?"

"Since when can they pull off stunts like that?"

"They can't." Bravo replied to Bald, "All units pursue and engage the enemy!"

"Yes sir!" His squadron formed up on him in a diamond formation as they picked up speed and flew in pursuit of the agile Raptor, "Now it's just running away sir...what should we do?"

"Keep pursuing, it has to run out of fuel soon."

"Yes sir!" Bald answered as they pursued the Raptor and saw it vanish in the middle of the air, "What the...where did it go?"

"Somethings not right...it has a stealthed transport nearby! Pull up! Pull up!" Bravo warned his squadron as he did just that. He felt the underside of his Saberfish scrape against something but was otherwise alright. However, he saw no sign of the rest of his squad, "Brave? Bear? Bald? Come in! I repeat come in!"

Static...and then...silence...

"Son of a bitch!" Bravo yelled in frustration and anger, he quickly circled back around to where he saw the Raptor vanished and started firing his machine gun into the air, "Where are you! You wanna fight? Then tell me where you are!"

"Above you fleshling!" Bravo screamed when something grabbed his plane and tore open the cockpit, revealing a metallic face that stood on some sort of stealth transport while Bravo screamed like a little girl, "We have much to speak with you about or should I rip the very flesh from your skull?"

"I don't negotiate with terrorists and I'll never talk."

"Talk? I don't want you to talk!" The machine yelled as it pulled Bravo from his aircraft and held him in a tightening grip, "I want you to sing!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**If it seemed a little bloody in the battle...I apologize if I got a bit carried away...**


	3. Splashes of Devastation and Warmth

**Copyright: Do really need to put this up every chapter? I don't own anything! Otherwise this would be a movie!**

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center, Meeting Room**

Simon didn't even know why he was in the room but he knew it had something to do with Kaiba being pissed about the gorefest Shinji unleased a few days ago when they fought that monster from New York. Right now, Kaiba was apparently talking to some guy in a place called Japan where Shinji was from about a replacement pilot (you know, a boy who doesn't need therapy). But based on what he and Shinji were hearing, that started to become unlikely.

"What do you mean you don't want him back?" Seto asked while Simon listened on and noticed Shinji become very depressed as they listened.

"I'm afraid we won't have him Mr. Kaiba." The Japanese ambassador pointedly yet frightfully stated to Kaiba, "The boy's mental frailty is far beyond our capability to handle."

"I know he's a bit surpressed, but you do realize he'll be under my control-"

"We could care less if you throw him into the sun." The ambassador said again, nervously tossing aside his script and continuing with his hands in his pockets, "The Japanese Council has deemed Mr. Ikari as an S-class threat to our society and will not be readmitted into our nation under pain of death."

"What does that mean?" Kaiba asked, he was secretly recording this whole conversation to blackmail Japan so more later but for now he opened his mouth slightly to give the illusion of shock and pity.

"He's Criminally Insane on the highest level." The ambassador stated before reaching into his coat and bringing out a series of photoes, "Just look at these pictures!" Simon couldn't completely see them but one photo he saw displayed what he guessed to be eva unit 01 ripping out an enemy's intestines and drinking out of them while another showed the eva squatted over a Yakuza base stuffing bloodied members into it's mouth while the last showed the eva hulling out a mutilated giant shark while a piece of the shark was loosely dangling from it's open jaws, "Would...you...want...this...nut...back...in...your...country!" The ambassador was now obviously scared for some reason. It may have to do with the fact that he saw that the pilot of the eva in the pictures was quietly sitting against the wall with his eyes focused on the floor. "PROBABLY NOT!"

"K." Kaiba stated before he switched off the comm and turned to the young pilots. "Did you get all that Shinji?" Shinji didn't even nod as he turned from one of the most powerful men in the world and just left the meeting room, "Hell's wrong with him?" Simon had a slight urge to drill Kaiba out the back but decided against it and ran after Shinji.

It took awhile to manuever through the complex and the slow opening doors didn't help but he found Shinji just outside the complex looking very sad and depressed.

"Hey Shinji!" Just as Shinji started to turn to him, both boys stopped when they saw someone stare at them from across the street. A peach skinned, delicate-looking young woman with straight, light-blue/pale-blonde hair and unique blue eyes with pink crosses for pupils in a white and pink simple dress standing next to an albino skinned school girl with blue hair and red eyes. The older woman waved at the boys while the schoolgirl just stared at them as a bus sped between them and revealed an empty spot where the girls originally were.

Simon's eyes and mouth were wide with shock as to what just happened but Shinji seemed more used to it for some reason. Maybe this sort of thing happened to him a lot?

"Hi." Shinji smiled a bit, but that seemed to make everything sadder somehow, "Aren't you waiting for your folks?"

"Yeah...but..." Simon really felt bad for Shinji, sure he was a bit of a wimp, but that was just because he didn't have anyone to back him up like he did, "Sorry about what that guy said. You'd have to be an idiot to not want you back home."

"It's probably father." Simon almost became depressed himself with the look of utter hopelessness and defeat Shinji wore, "He threw me out afterall...but no one really misses me so I'll just stay here-" Shinji was cut off when a tall red gunman slid into view and something rocketed towards the boys. Simon's mood instantly raised when he recognized the red and blue blur with sunglasses coming towards them.

"BRIGHT BRUISE!" A fist slammed into Shinji's head, instantly driving the depression demons from the area and ushering in the aura of awesomeness that was Simon's older muscular bro. The paragon of man slid onto his feet like nothing had happened and turned to his younger bro, "Sup Simon?"

"Bro!" Simon couldn't help but not care why he always felt more awesome and happy around Kamina, but at this point he tended to just accept it. "Look...can he live with us?"

"Him?" Kamina took off his sunglasses and inspected the more confused than hurt Shinji. "You look a lot like Simon."

"Really?" Shinji asked, Simon couldn't help but realize that it was true. Apart from hair color, attitude, and height, they really were identical, "I have a place, I don't want to be a bother if you-"

"It's okay Shinij, you can live with us." Simon assured the older but less confident boy, "Right bro?"

"Of course Simon! A friend of yours is a friend of mine." Kamina boasted, giving both boys simueltaneous noggies even as Kaiba walked past, "Hey brock! Shinji's living with us now, got a problem with that?"

"He's all your's." Kaiba said before entering his limo and driving off to a magic vs yu-gi-oh tournament where players from each would be forced to play the opposite game and whoever survived got to get a position on Kaiba's advisory board.

* * *

**Angel Groove Highway**

"Damn...his own country doesn't want him." Bit said, trying very carefully to not crash and burn on this heavily damaged highway though the worst damage was around HQ. Due to apathy or a lack of personnel, the highway system was usually the last to ever get repairs around here. They were only 70% fixed from the Singing Diamond incident when Clover came around and made everything worse.

"There isn't a dishonor worse than exile from one's own home." Van remarked, "To be ostrisized and thrown into the unknown where individuals are preyed upon and fed to the pantera."

"You mean like what happened to you?" Bit didn't know he didn't flinch when a sword was instantly brought to his face, maybe it was the fact that his death would also cause the death of the sword's wielder...you know unless he could sprout wings and fly out of a crashing car.

"For the record, this was consentual for the sake of my country." Van corrected, his sword still keep inches from Bit's nose, which made it a bad hard to drive properly to where if he were any less of a driver he would have killed a little girl and her puppy that he swerved around. "Besides, my elder brother Falken will rule well in my absence."

* * *

Somewhere on Fanelia...

"So let me get this straight..." Falken began, two obvious prostitutes knelling before the throne he sat in while a baby soundly slept in the seat next to the throne, "You both slept with the same man and bore him children. Then one of you let the baby drown in a kool-aid bowl and stole the other's son to get the dead man's money. Usually I would host a test to see which one is the mother." Both women seemed realived by his statement but unfortunately he had more to say.

"However, I find you both highly incompetent and have sent the child to the Spartan IV program where a AI supermodel will be a better mother than either of you whores." Falken stated while armed guards gently took the baby and put him in a box labeled for a woman named Halsey.

"You monster! That's my son!" The woman cried out, drawing a sword and summoning a threatening amount of wind and water magic, "By the honor of the Fanelian King's you will-" But she was stopped when something caused her hand to sieze up and drop her sword.

"You fail to remember that I stand in the place of King Van," Falken reminded the woman as her whole arm convulsed and pulsed out of place, "His law dictates that dumb and abusive parents will be deprieved of their children for the child's sake." The woman just stayed on her knees begging the regent to stop causing every nerve in her body to turn against it and cause her so much pain.

"But...this isn't...fair..." The woman managed despite the fact that her arm was truly rotated out of synch with her muscles now, "I really-"

"Oh screw it." The woman's neck was wrenched to the side, breaking it and killing her instantly. "Tag her and bag her. Next!"

* * *

"Wait? How come he's not king?" Bit asked, knowing that usually the oldest becomes ruler after the king dies in most kingdoms and royal lines.

"Remember when I said I had to kill a dragon to become king?" Bit remembered something to that degree, but blew it off as Van bickering about being good with his sword, "He tried to do that but failed horribly and lost his arm and manhood in the attempt." The way Van mentioned how his brother almost died seemed to unnerve Bit ever so slightly.

"...And you suceeded?" Somehow the image of Van loudly declaring himself before a massive fire-breathing dragon gave Bit a struggle between keeping from laughing or keeping from losing focus on the road.

"Yeah...and then I put it's still beating heart into Escaflowne's core to activate it." Bit tried very hard to focus on the road now and get this man next to him out of his car as quickly as possible. Van must have sensed something amiss because he asked, "What?"

"Why did I agree to work with this guy?" Bit thought as he neared the Fanalien embassy. He actually entertained the brief idea of driving the car over a nearby cliff, jumping out before it went off and laughing as Van crashed and burned with his car. Then he figured it wouldn't work because it would turn out that Van had wings or something stupid like that. So he just drove up the gates, dropped him off and went on home.

* * *

**Residence of the Negotiator, Skyline District, Angel Groove**

"Despite the efforts of a nearby team, Mecha Lord took hours to clean while the city itself would take at least two days," Roger rubbed his temples again and again just thinking about the lecture and accompanying imagery that would make it harder for him to sleep. "My tax dollars well spent." The elevator door stopped and opened and a black and red blur tackled him back into the elevator.

"Hi daddy!" The little girl with red hair indentical fashion to her mother and a cute black and blue dress greeted while still hugging her father. Roger smiled and walked out of the elevator while still holding his little girl.

"How was work Roger?" His wife greeted, most would think she didn't give a damn from her monotone, but Roger knew better.

"You know...it was another day," Roger replied, kissing his wife while their daughter giggled, "But the kids I work with...they're something else."

"They did something to make the job more difficult than necessary?" To the credit of his teammates, the problems weren't necessarily their fault, all of them except maybe Simon had been blackmailed to some extent so teamwork shouldn't be expected to be smooth off the bat.

"Yeah...but they're still a pretty likable bunch...even if one of them needs some...help," In truth, he had his own issues, but the problem with the others were that their issues seemed more forward...especially with Ikari.

"Now you know what it is like for me to put up with you." Dorothy said without breaking her tone while their daughter giggled all the more at their banter.

"What? Dorothy!" Some things would never change even after marriage, as for those that do, "Annie...why does your mother like to pick on me?"

"Because picking on daddy is fun." Annie replied, laughing enough to make up for her and her gently grinning mother.

"You're definately Dorothy's daughter," Roger conceeded, "And I love you for it."

"I love you too daddy!" Annie replied with a hug around his waist and then ran over to her mother's piano.

"Some faces make it all worth it." The Negotiator remarked to Dorothy as their daughter started to masterfully play Chopin's Prelude Op 28, No. 15 as amazingly fast as her mother, "Norman, how's everything?"

"Well I have good news and bad news master Roger." The butler stated and Roger knew this would inconvienience his day when the elder man started reading from a list of bills and expenses, "It appears that the ammunition from your last two scrabbles won't be replenished for another week, the replacement plating for Big-O won't arrive from Gotham for another two weeks, the combining stunt with that little red mecha has overworked your cannons to where they won't be functional for another few days given that something else doesn't happen, and I'm afraid that half of your suits were destroyed when one of those creature's legs hit the cleaner's."

"And the good news?" Roger always hated these reports, he would really have to get more compensation from Kaiba or he'd go broke from doing his own job. He heard a ding in the room which meant whatever Norman had in the oven was now ready.

"Dinner is served." Deciding to take what he could get, Roger inhaled the scent of whatever Norman and Dorothy had cooked and joined his family in the dining room.

* * *

**District 15, Angel Groove**

"Can't believe you lived in that little cupboard under the stairs." Kamina stated as he and Simon led Shinji through the apartment complex which while it had seen better days, still seemed epic because Kamina and his crew lived there.

"It was actually a lot more-"

"Trust me on this, just nod and agree with bro." Simon advised Shinji while they entered the Gurren Brigade Lounge Quarters.

"Meet the team." Kamina then started pointing people out and naming them, "My smoken hot girlfriend and Team Sniper, Yoko." The scantily clad woman just winked at the three and kept firing at nails in a firing range with an oversized sniper rifle. With 100% accuracy. "The Black Sisters and Kittan." The blond spiky tough guy pretended to ignore Kamina while his "sisters" all waved at Simon, "Leeron, Gimmy, Darry, and ROSSIAU!" Kamina's face turned vengeful as he slug a young man across the head and sent him flying into a wall. To Shinji's amazement, Rossiau seemed mostly alright and nobody seemed concerned in the slightest.

"What was that for?" Rossiau asked while rubbing his horribly mangled skull.

"You were about to go on a bitching rant!" Kamina chided while everyone gave Rossiau a very mean look, "What did I tell you about those!"

"He still misses home." Simon explained to a bewildered Shinji. Rossiau looked down and just nodded in agreement with Kamina who went back to his happy badass self and jumped up to a high balcony in the lounge room.

"The Twins, Jorgun and Balinbow; Kid; Iraak; Zorthy, Makken and you already know Simon and myself, Kamina; Leaders and Founders of the Dai-Gurren Brigade!" Everyone gave an AWOOO with the very volume and awesome of their voices filling him and almost begging to inspire him to greater heights.

But it's Shinji Ikari did you think it would be that easy?

"Sorry...but I've never heard of you guys." Shinji spoke up and felt the glares of a million blades descend upon his soul.

"Kid...you're lucky your one of Simon's friends." Kttan threatened, "Back where we're from, I'd headbutt you into the clouds for a stupid comment like that."

"Uh...where are you guys from? The Mines?" The atmosphere of the room grew instantly dark with Shinji's mention of mines. So dark and so cold that Yoko put on a completely covering jacket. Shinji had heard stories about people being thrown underground and then forced to dig deeper because people on the surface kept having huge wars and parties but the reality seemed darker if even the Dai-Gurren Brigade seemed downcast from the very mention.

"Yeah! We're from the mines!" Kid answered without an inch of shame, "Some place in...America...yeah! That's what its called!"

"A long time ago, the Americans started to get worried about overconsumption and obesity...so they came up with a brilliant idea." Leeron explained, "Take 60% of the middle to lower class, put them in mines to work and see what happens! Accept that they forgot about us twenty years and left us to fend for ourselves until Kaiba Corp. purchased the land around where we were and gave us passes to this place."

"Wait...you guys built this city?" Shinji couldn't believe what he had just heard. They actually built a city without any tortorous training in architexture?

"Yeah! Quite a beauty ain't she?" Yoko asked, "A good third of Angel Groove's population is comprised of former miners all trying to make their way on the surface."

"Kaiba doesn't do much to help except not demand taxes," "But he probably did it to keep from pissing off a bunch of hot-blooded, dirt poor, badass refugees who helped build his city."

"We even have free lifetime passes to Kaiba Land." Gimmy and Darry said but then became sad when they stated why, "Because we're all orphens..." Everyone's head dropped while somone started playing a sad note on the violen just to drive to point that this was a sad topic.

"DAI GURREN BRIGADE ORPHENS!" Kamina shouted and the violen started to play an uplifting tune while everyone boasted in agreement and Yoko revealed her bikini covered melons again. Shinji couldn't help but notice how easy it was to swing the mood of this brigade. But he was just thankful that they let him stay.

"Well...thank you all for letting me stay here." Kamina put a hand on Shinji's shoulder and just smirked while the others seemed to gesture as if letting one more aboard was not a problem at all.

"Please, it's the least we can do since you're helping out Simon." Kamina said, "Beside's I've got a feeling that you'll help each other more than you'd imagine.

"I'll give it my all then, Kamina." Shinji stated and was very confused when Kamina handed him a t-shirt and vest with the flaming symbol of the Brigade on it. "I-"

"When you live with badasses, you wear badass clothing." Shinji shrugged his shoulders thinking that they would be fine when not on duty and threw off the school shirt he'd been wearing since he got to Angel Groove. Which gave Kamina a very eye opening view of Shinji's pirate mememto, "Simon! He has a badass tattoo!"

* * *

**Somewhere on the Angel Grove Highway**

"I like Leena." Hitomi told her pouting fiancee while she drove them home. Not that she didn't mind the other mode of transportation but it would gain some unwanted attention, especially so close to the damn Americans. She had met Bit Cloud's girlfriend at her club meeting and they hit it off pretty well, "What do you-"

"His lady is alright but that Cloud guy ticks me off." Van ranted with bitter enthusiasim, obviously he didn't get along well with this Cloud guy, "His esteem and skill emerge from a sport...not true warfare." Maybe this Cloud was taller, more muscular, more bishonen and had a bigger sword than Van, it was impossible for her to read men sometimes.

"Is that all? What about...I don't know...his personality?" To be honest, seeing Van this sullen and pouting was hilarous to Hitomi...just as long as he never goes into an agnst coma.

"He talks too much." Van continued, "He never takes anything seriously...the moon of this planet could be about to fall in three days and while some would take advantage of a time loop generator to constantly travel through time to save the world, he'd sit on his house and watch it fall like it was a cloud."

"But wouldn't the moon's gravity crush him after awhile-"

"The point is that he's unreliable and therefore, I don't like him." Van summerized before shutting up and letting his fiancee drive.

"Does that make Meryl unreliable when she's left to watch the house?" She watched Van in the corner of her eye grimace in horror at the thought of leaving their well-intentioned but honestly hyper friend alone at their home. "Then again, Bulgus does balances things out." For a very good reason, Van seemed to disagree...

* * *

Fanelian Royal Embassy, Angel Grove Outskirts

"Lord Bulgus! You're killing the trainees!" The little cat-girl pointed out while a certain bodyguard flung dozens of trainee guards across the training grounds.

"Nonsense! They're bent over and agonizing in pain, that means they can keep fighting!" Bulgus corrected as he brought the flat of his massive sword onto the back of an exhausted young man, who proceeded to cry as he tried to grab his injured back, "EMBRACE THE PAIN CHILDREN! IT WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER!" Bulgus swiped his sword up and brought it down on a stubborn lad who somehow maintained resolve to pass.

"Why didn't Lord Van leave him on Fanelia?" Meryl asked herself as she tended the wounds of pathetically injured guards and watched another boy get thrown into a wall. The sad part was that this was the guy who trained Van..."How did Lord Van ever survive this man?"

* * *

**Somewhere else on the Highway**

"So that's the guy you work with..." Leena Tauros said with a face that anyone else would mistake for an obsessive fangirl as she looked over a photo of a battle scared and furious Van, "He sure had a big thick long-"

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Bit asked, knowing exactly what she was trying to bait him into, "Yeah, I know he has a big sword on his back and probably a big one in the crouch, so what?"

"You don't have manly issues around him?" Leena teased always finding it cool that Bit gave so little of a damn about other men's statuses. She actually found it to be reasonably mature and hot.

"Sure it matters who's got the bigger stick." Bit stated, "But it matters a hell of a lot more who's swinging it and who's getting swung at." If not for that last part, Leena might have killed her boyfriend for quoting a certain general she absolutely hated. Still, Bit wasn't perfect.

"Alright, I met his fiancee, Hitomi at work." She brought up trying to change the conversation, "She was nice if a bit...shy." She kept going about how she's a track star and is a huge fan of tarot card reading until she heard her phone ring, "Text from dad...He wants to know if we've made a baby yet."

"You know most fathers would be more worried about that." Bit pointed, "Wonder what's up."

* * *

Somewhere in the Desert (Don't ask where)

"Sir...why do we want Leena and Bit to get together?" Dr. Tauros' unfortunate assistant asked while making an adjustment to a LeoBlaze Unit.

"Simple Jamie! My daughter is the epitome of woman badassery and Bit is a paragon of Zoids pilots." Dr. Tauros stated with a daigram that gave a little too much information, "So when he knocks her up, I'll take their lovechild and raise it as the ultimate x of zoid's pilots! Then make bets on him and make lots of money for my projects!"

"Like what sir?" Jamie couldn't help but entertain the older professor. Not that he didn't come with ingenious ideas at times.

"Like that!" The Doctorate in Insane Mechanics declared pointing to a box shaped shoulder pad in the corner of the warehouse, "A projectile converter capable of taking any enemy attack and converting into energy!"

"Right...like that'll ever work." Jaime thought as he texted Brad and got a good laugh from the reply.

* * *

**Kaiba's bedroom, Kaiba Corp HQ, Angel Grove**

"Who is this?" Kaiba was having a very good dream about a certain totally hot dragon girlfriend a robot from the future told him about but then the phone rang and he answered on instinct forged by years under his instructive but ridiculously abusive adoptive father.

"I don't who you are and I don't know what you want." The voice was masculine and pissed off so that ruled out a dream voice.

"It's usually polite to answer when-"

"If it's money you are after then you'll find yourself dissapointed." The man on the other line continued to Kaiba's increased confusion.

"Money? I own Blackwater, the UN, Sony, Square Enix, Bioware and Bungie! Why would I need more-"

"But I do possess a number of skills. Skills that I have acquired over a long career...Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you." Just to test and see if he was still in a dream, Seto took out his dream token and started it's process.

"Look man. You're not the first hacker I've ever busted-"

"If you let my daughter go now that will be the end of it. I will not pursue you. I will not remember you." Kaiba almost wished this was a bad dream, but his dream token told him otherwise.

"What? I don't even know who you are-"

"But if you do not let my daughter go. I will hunt you. I will find you. And I will KILL you." Most people with sense would've been scared by this threat but...Seto Kaiba isn't easily scared.

"Okay I'm hanging up, good luck." Kaiba hung up the phone and went back to sleep...this time dreaming about beating a certain boy with ridiculously spiky red and yellow outlined hair in a cardgame and watching his life crumble because of it.

* * *

Meanwhile in a Very Shiny Palace

Unaware of the monstrosity he had dared to challenge him...

"RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" A bearded pissed off Liam Neeson look-alike shouted to the pale gray haired bishonen bi-sexual who looked very bored at this display of overreaction.

"Why did you did raise your voice-"

"REEELLLLAAASSSEEEE THEEE KRAAAKEEENNNN!" Liam's yell didn't affect the gray-haired bi-sexual but nonetheless, he felt inclined to do as bidden.

"Oh great, his hamming in capital letters," He thought as Neeson continued to stare him down, "I'll go release the fishy." He walked out of the shiny palace on the moon and walked along it's surface looking for something that he always had trouble finding.

He then found a white lance with double-helical shaft and a defined spearhead implanted with a green gem after a long while of wondering and looked up. He was phased by the appearance of being upside down while earth was below with the moon and his feet as the ceiling but come now since when does the concept of gravity affect Tabris, Messenger of Free Will?

* * *

**District 13, Surviellance Tower**

"Why are we out here?" A tipsy private asked his nearby sargeant as they looked out from atop the tower.

"Where the hell did this come from private?" The sargaent asked his usually silent and obediant red shir-meat shiel-valuable soldier.

"Sir, I just feel like our placement in this tower seems almost pointless." The private remarked while overlooking the city, "Like the only reason we're here is to see whatever freak of nature pops out of the ground and attacks the city while our cruel deaths serve as a sick joke to whoever's writting fate's script."

"Look maggot, I know you're still pissed about your brothers getting eaten by the Clover thing," The sargent said, reminding the private of his brother's horrible deaths due to the monster's tentacles, "But we're the watchmen damn it! We have to be in a position where we can see trouble before it comes within miles of the people and then let them deal with. Once we've told them what's coming, we skidaddle."

"What year is it sir?" The private asked when he saw something fall from the sky in the distance that he was certain would make his day worse.

"2015 AD, why maggot?" The oblivous sargaent asked in reply.

"So 2012 was three years ago?" The private asked again when noticed the waves of the distant ocean start to rumble like something was moving through them.

"And the world didn't end, said the same crap back in 2000 too." The sargaent answered, reminescing on those days, "Sure, some glowing freak popped out of Antarctica and caused water levels to rise and half the population to die off, but the world didn't end. Hell! The worst we got was an earthquake that chipped off a piece of California." The sargaent stopped laughing when a great shockwave ran through the area, causing the tower to go a bit off balance. The private watched as a huge water geyser erupted from the ground in front of the tower and more water started to pour into the city.

"I hate this job." The private said as the water gave way to reveal a large crestacian monstrosity that had burst through the ground and has now roaring at his tower. The tower must have fainted in fear because he could feel it gave way under him. But he didn't wimper or run since either the fall would kill him, the water would drown him or the monster would eat him, he just gave a final breath and accepted his fate.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Situation!" Mokuba Kaiba commanded while the bridge crew all frantically pointed to the viewscreen depicting a monstrous crestacian devastating the city, "Yes, I see the giant killer turtle/crab/octopus on the screen. Could someone give me a straighter answer?"

"Sir...the anomaly burst out from the ground in District 13, bringing with it a large geyser of water that's currently flooding what remains of District 13 and other districts in proximity and seems rooted in place." Everyone then watched as the monstrosity lifted itself out of the hole and leapt out of the district into another, crushing hundreds as it landed, "Never mind, it can apparently use it's large crab like legs to leap along and it destroyed District 23 upon landing as well as creating a long fissure connecting 23 and 13 allowing for more water to leak along and flood more of the city." The anomly roared as tentacles sprouted from it's body and started tearing apart entire sections of the district and flinging them into other districts, "Can I panic Mr. Kaiba?"

"Mokuba's fine and you have five minutes." Mokuba told the young woman who thanked him and proceeded to join the panic while the young Kaiba took the helm, "All hands! Level 1 battlestations!"

"Good work Mokuba, now get out of my seat." Even in life or death situations big brothers will take offense to their siblings sitting in their seats. Or maybe Kaiba's a jerk like that who knows.

"Yes Seto." Mokuba grumbled when he got out of Seto's seat and effectively gave the helm to his older brother.

"Equip the Defense force with Jetpacks and send them out!" Seto commanded while half of the crew became relatively calmer but still reasonably scared.

"But only half of them of them are functional sir! The rest haven't been fitted to handle the weight of the mobile suits-"

"Then I guess they'll have to learn to surf the waves." Kaiba turned to another another bridge bunny to call the team. But saw that the technician close to retirement wasn't at work so he walked over to the intern looking at pictures on her phone, "Text the Team!"

"Already did." The intern stated and then read over a text message that made her gulp, "Where do Simon and Shinji live?"

"Somewhere in District 15." Kaiba could care less as to where they lived as long as the team did their job.

"District 15 experienced massive structural and integral damage sir." Another bridge bunny pointed while Kaiba noted that the district was where most of the former miners worked, "Not to mention that most of the remaining area was flooded by the creature's emergence."

"Well great. They're dead." Kaiba remarked when he suddenly heard a huge drilling sound come from the back of the base, "What was that?"

"Probably Simon." Roger remarked over the comm, "By the way, it'll take me awhile to get there...highways flooded."

"Yeah, same on my end," Bit joined in while the overview screen showed their locations slowly moving through flooded areas.

"Wimps and their cars." Van said when he jumped down from the ceiling to everyone's amazement and confusion.

"How did you get here so fast?" An intern asked while Van just pointed to the sea turtles strapped to his boots. Kaiba just signed and went to the source of the incredibly loud drilling noise. And became increasingly scared when he realized it was coming from-

"WHY IS THERE A GIANT DRILL IN MY ROOM!" Kaiba cried when he opened his door to find that Simon and a bunch of awesome yet ill-dressed people had dug up from out of his floor and destroyed his room in the process.

"Sorry, we got closed in by the flood." Simon apologized when a piece of ceiling crushed a chess set that was signed by Hayao Miyazaki, "Hope we didn't break anything." Kaiba seemed to ignore the miners and slowly walked over to where a singler piece lied and stared at it.

"YOU DESTROYED MY ROOM!" Kaiba yelled, bringing the brigade's attention to his destroyed room and furniture. "IS THAT...MY-"

"Blue Eyes White Dragon? Who still plays this game?" Kamina remarked while going through Kaiba's duel monster's deck.

"YOU GOT DIRT ALL OVER MY CARDS! AND PUT THAT PICTURE DOWN!" Kaiba order, snatching the deck and a photo from the Dai-Gurren group, "I hope you plan to get it replaced."

"By the way, you might need plumbing." Yoko spoke up when water started flowing out of the drilled hole and covering the floor, "The flood followed us."

"Simon...Shinji...get out and kill that crab-turtle-squid." Seto slowly said as Gimmy and Darry started playing in the water, "So how do you plan to pay for this?"

"I recommend that you let Mr. Kaiba use Miss Yoko as a belly warmer." The smug senior intern was answered by an increase of pressure caused by the anger and sheer awesomeness that was Team Dai-Gurren. As the intern stumbled and collapsed, Kaiba watched with mild indifference.

"Just so you know interns, that's why I do the talking." He noted to the other nearby interns before he turned back to the Dai-Gurren brigade, "You idiots just get yourself killed."

* * *

**Angel Groove, District 24**

"Damn it man! That's more money off our paychecks!" Bit complained when the team was assembled in their mecha. Due to the rising water levels throughout the city however, the team's deployment was slowed due to caution and water messing with the deployment doors.

"Bro was the navigator." Simon explained while the team waded through the rising water levels. Well, everyone except Roger and Shinji since they're mecha were taller. "By the way, nice engines." Why he didn't notice Bit's new liger mode was beyond Simon, either way, it still looked cool. Maybe that that was, all of it's modes does nothing to lessen Liger Zero's cooless so any change goes mostly unnoticed.

"Liger Zero Jaeger." Bit replied, Liger raising it's head to roar in agreement. "This time, I planned ahead."

"Who cares about Kaiba's room or Van's kitty cat," Van said when he finally got Escaflowne on top of a building that wasn't completely submerged, "What the bloody hell is that thing?" The team followed the direction of his pointed sword to see their target pick a defense force mobile suit out of it's tentacles and eat it.

"The Kraken." Shinji responded over the comm, "A mythological creature believed to have been used by ancient gods to destroy cities, hunt down and kill titans, and...the occassional tentacle rape of the daughter of someone who really pissed off the gods." The prospect of anything Shinji just read off did little to raise hope. "I'm not surprised that it's here because of someone Kaiba pissed off." Eva crouched down and fired it's scoped sniper chain rifle while the team observed the rounds impact the creature's turtle shell-like exoskeleton.

"Cease fire Shinji! We don't know how far those tentacles extend." Roger's concern was answered when Eva was pulled under water by an unseen tentacle and tossed into the air like a soccer ball a few seconds later, landing head first on a broken wall and falling into the water, "Okay now we do." Two more tentacles sprang towards Big O and wrapped around it's torso, but the black megadues was simply to heavy to be lifted. Leaving them exposed to a claw from Liger and a slash from Eva's glaive, "Plus, it's bleeding from that gunshot wound."

"Deity 101: if it bleeds it's mortal." Bit stated while Liger jumped onto the massive Kraken, reversed a booster and burnt a section of the Kraken's lower body as it started climbing along the body. This didn't last long because another tentacle swiped up and dragged it into the water. Big-O moved in as the liger was tossed out of the water and against a buildboard reading "Nuter your pets". Liger propelled burnt the buildboard as it starting leaping from building top to building top.

"If it's mortal, it can be killed." Simon added. Lagann formed into drill and braced for when swung it's glaive to sent it flying into the creature's shoulder. Lagann drilled through the creature and managed to break a section of it's shell while doing so.

"But how do we know it can't raise from the dead-" Van's question was cut off when the creature swiped at Big O and sent it crashing into Escaflowne. Fortunately, both mechs were able to adjust to keep from falling into the deep end of the flooded district. Meanwhile, Bit was using his drill as an engine to propel him through the water far enough to where he got enough momentum to turn Lagann around and drill through two of it's crab legs with maximum effect.

"It's the nuke of olympus, not the Alpha Omeaga!" Bit cried as Liger did a dashing jump enhanced by it's equipped boosters and pounced onto the Kraken's shoulder, "Who wants some sushi!" Bit cried as Liger reversed it's engines and started burning the Kraken's neck and unprotected upper chest. A shell piece folded over the Kraken's head while a sharpened tentacle reached up and stabbed the Liger in it's lower back and threw it back into the water.

"Only if it's cooked." Roger remarked when he shot chained hooks out of his arms that cut into the creature's chest and then pulled. The sheer strength and weight of the megadues was enough to throw the creature off balance and send it crashing into the water. As it raised it's head up, Escaflowne was already falling down from the sky with it's sword and plunged the blade into it's shell.

"Wait! How did you get all the way up there?" Bit asked while the creature bellowed in pain and raised up despite having Escaflowne still lodged in it's back.

"This is new." Van admitted when the Kraken reached around and flung the guymelef into the water while remaining unphased by the barrage that Shinji and Bit delivered with their guns. At least until Lagann leapt up and drilled through another leg at it's upper thigh, causing the creature to become off centered and exposing it's lower previously submerged body to damage. Apparently it was getting hurt because the creature withdrew into it's shell and sunk beneath the water. Unable to get a good read and not willing to risk jumping into the water, the team waiting as water levels slowly rose.

Before any of them could react, five tentacles snatched the team and dragged Big-O's leg to cause it's fall while the others were lifted into into the air as the Kraken resurfaced fully healed and looking incredibly pissed off. As it roared, Lagann formed it's hands into drills and cut the tentacle constricting it while Liger fired it's boasters to overload the tentacle's pain threashold and cause it to let go, Escaflowne somehow slipped out and appeared above it's offending tentacle and sliced it with his sword and Eva 01 was promptly released when it started eating the tentacle constricting it.

"Alright! Rangers! Combine!" Everyone cried as they fell towards the now standing Big-O and slid the black handle across their console to begin the process as they landed.

"Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." The computer voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form.

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets. The boasters of Jaeger also formed into Mecha Lord's

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Lord activated," The computer said as Mecha Lord stood ready while the Kraken just roared. But had a hard time balancing due to the frailty of the building that Mecha Lord stood on.

"Cast in the name of God. Ye not Guilty." Bit read off when he got comfortable in his newly arranged cockpit, "Maybe this should be our badass creed."

"Does it still think I'm a pussy?" Shinji could care less but was relieved when the message on his screen read: **_Ye Not._** "I'll take it." _**But you need work. **_"Ha ha, pick on the emotionally damaged japanese schoolboy, how original!"

"Does this thing say anything else Roger?" Simon asked while Mecha Lord finally found it's balance, even though the building would still collapse at any minute.

"No, it pretty just says whether or not your guilty of piloting it." Roger admitted, not fully understanding the mechanics behind it either, "Mecha Lord...ACTION!" Mecha Lord used Jaeger's boasters to accelerate it's jump towards the recovered Kraken. It drew out a sword and easily cut the tentacles that the beast threw at it, but lost it's initial thrust and fell into the now dangerously deep water.

"Okay, we've gotta do something about this water problem." Bit calmly brought up to the team as Mecha Lord continued to sink, "It's leaking into the system!"

"And the cockpits!" Shinji pointed out while all of the pilots started to notice this predictament as well.

"I have an idea!" Just as water flooded into his cockpit, he had Mecha Lord fire a hook from it's shoulder that latched onto the Kraken's massive thigh. He knew that they only had a limited time before the chain ran out or broke so he called out his plan quickly, "Shinji! Draw up that barrier to push back the water! Van! Use your exhaust to heat the shields! Bit! When I pull on the chain, use the boast to get through! Simon! How deep can you drill?"

"Just say when!" Simon shouted while Mecha Lord threw out it's arms to expand a cross shaped field around it that held back the water. It then fired a stream of green flame that was absorbed by the field. Mecha Lord then created a giant energy drill on it's right arm that it slammed into the the ground, causing water to drain into however deep of a whole the drill would make. The Mecha then grabbed the chain and held on while the leg boosters fired the entire cross out of the rising water along the chain until the chain broke and Mecha Lord leapt into the air level to the Kraken's head and punched it in the jaws before leaping off and onto a nearby hill that conveniently stood against the watery flood.

The creature seemed to agonize as it reformed jaw back into place and threw it's tentacles at Mecha Lord. All of which were decapitated with a single slash from Mecha Lord's heated sword. It roared in anger as it waded towards Mecha Lord.

"Piss off fishy! You think you can come into my home turf, destroy my new home and then question us for standing up to you!" Simon epically shouted, the water almost resceding before the hill that Mecha Lord stood on due to the increased aura of awesomeness, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM? I'm Simon the Digger of the Dai-Gurren Brigade and member of the Angel Groove Mecha Rangers! And your ass...IS GRRRRRAAAASSSSSS!" Somewhere in the world a volcano exploded but no one died so it's not important. The Kraken swiped down it's massive claw but the claw was mangled when it failed to break the barrier that the Mecha Lord had created while it slowly brought up it's left arm and blew out a piston as it placed it's hand on the area of the barrier where the claw was still being pressed in an attempt to break through. The piston fired into it's socket, causing that portion of the barrier to jolt through the Kraken's arm and practically blow it off of it's socket.

As the Kraken agonized over it's lost limb, Mecha Lord brought up it's sword and summoned energy to it that shifted it into a helix shaped lance with a drill at the end of it and gripped the lance with both arms as it started to seemingly power up. The Kraken roared a cry that would make Spartans run home and cry but Mecha Lord's drill grew larger and it jumped up as shot out both pistons again...

"FINISHING MOVE! DRAGON THUNDER STRIKE LASER DRIILLLLLLLL LANNNNCCCCCCEEEEERRRRRRR!" Simon called out as Mecha Lord thrusted forth, empowered by the spirit of it's pilots in union with their mecha and slammed it's attack through the Kraken's shell, piercing into it's gushing flesh and landing on a building on the other side, as explosions consumed the Kraken.

"Alright!" The team cheered as Mecha Lord disassembled back into their original mecha. They watched as the smoke cleared to reveal a still very much alive but very much wounded and dying Kraken lying on it's broken back, staring as vengefully as it could at the Mecha Rangers.

It seemed almost sad, to see such a mighty creature dying in such a state. In days of old it terrorized mariners and entire cities and even titans respected it's strength. But now, here it lied, in a flooded modern city, dying from wounds created by pilots in machines blackmailed by a greedy rich boy with a dragon fetish.

"Shinji?" Bit realized that Eva Unit 1 was not sitting with them and then saw the purple mecha pick up a lance and attach several electrical powerlines to it, "Wait...what is he-" Bit watched as Unit 1 impaled the lance through the dying Kraken's exposed torso and stood there while it was electrified very very violently, "Damn...that boy needs therapy.

"Shinji!" Roger cried out, "That was so un-paragon!" Now the titan-slayer was screaming in agony that would make even little girls wonder why it was so intimidating. The team could swear that they heard Shinji spit.

"Renegade for life." Eva 01 then walked away from the still-being-electrified Kraken and rejoined the team while they just watched in horror as the poor creature's eyes were blasted from it's sockets and it's limps convulsed in ways they didn't think were possible.

"Okay...let's get the lance out before it-" The Kraken's body then exploded, which caused the same event as the last time around, "Explodes chucks all over the city..." Even though it wasn't as bloody and there weren't any entrails to trip over, the team knew it would be a long clean-up in addition to the water that still needs to be drained out.

"Least we know what's for dinner." Bit offered while Liger waded over to a large piece of the Kraken's meat and picked it up with it's jaws, "Or at least we can find a good price on Ebay."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

While everyone else cheered and celebrated, Seto Kaiba was facepalming at the amount of damage. What was it about this city that made it worth the constant repairs and disasters?

"Why did I buy this city?" Kaiba asked aloud, "And who's idea was it to come here?"

"I thought you came here cause you lost again to-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Kaiba stood and started for the command center exit, "Get the clean-up crews into the city."

"But I thought I was in charge of the ci-"

"Shut up Mokuba. Seto's in a really bad mood." Kaiba yelled before the doors slid behind him, leaving the command crew with the duanting task of once more cleaning up the city.

"Why do you put up with him when he's such a-"

"Shut up Optimus." Mokuba told the floating autobot head as he sat in Seto's chair and starting making calls. It was going to be a long couple of days.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**They've just killed the Kraken. What can't the Rangers beat? And don't anyone DARE say Chuck Norris! Bruce Lee would be acceptable but he's dead (RIP) so that would be cheating.**


	4. Spill the Wrath pt 1

**Copyright: Come on people, you know I don't own Gainax, Studio Khara, or anything else in this fic or I'd be rolling like Kaiba.**

* * *

**District 24, Angel Groove**

"Damn..." Was all a spectator watching the day's events from the roof of his flooded home could say about the battle he'd just witnessed. That and the fact that the a piece of meat from the Kraken's...explosion...had fallen on his roof. So he did what any rational person would do and cook it. It was really good for seafood too.

On the roof of another building, a small group of idiots had made up some crazy sacrifice to try and make the Kraken stop attacking their city. So it was just a matter of going back to fixing their hopeless lives. Hearing a signal on his phone, the spectator exhaled and got dressed for his job.

"Alright citizens, return to your homes and/or shelters!" Announced the neighborhood watch security committee, their black masked guards emphasizing the point by passively threatening the civilians still wandering the watered streets. Now on duty, their leader decided to personally deal with this crazy cult and stop them from their own stupidity.

"But we're performing a virgin sacrifice to appease the Kraken." The ring leader of the cultists, dressed ridiculously as a shaman tried to explain to the guard when he told them to evacuate.

"The Kraken's dead." The guard explained, holding up piece of cooked meat from the creature and then tossing it to his dog.

"BLASPHEMY! The Kraken is a symbol of the gods!" The shaman yelled to the guard's face. Underneath his mask, the guard wanted to punch this guy out and let him drown in the water. But he doesn't get paid to knock people out for pissing him off right?

"Whatever just untie-" The guard looked up at the peach skinned, delicate-looking girl with curly light-blue/pale-blonde hair and unique blue eyes with pink crosses for pupils in a white and pink simple dress and felt the lump in his throat grow, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Who?" The guard handed the shaman a little booklet titled, "Individuals to not mess with and why". The Shaman immediately paled as he read through the booklet's contents since while most of its entries only had a page, Miss Teppelin took up about a hundred pages, "Oh...that's Nia...it was his idea!" The Shaman pointed out a young man in a monk garb with a black ponytail, who immediately starting crying and bent down to shoot himself.

"ROSSIEU!" As much as the guard wouldn't have minded seeing someone shoot themself, having a small blue haired boy launch out of hyperspace and punch this Rossieu into a wall was pretty entertaining in itself. While the guard expected most boys to fly into a ravenous rage, this boy just walked over to the makeshift alter and pulled his friend from the obviously weak ropes binding her, "Hi Nia."

"Simon!" The girl cried as she jumped on her friend and hugged her. He smiled while his men gave a collective awe at the cuteness of the scene. This didn't stop the cultists from being arrested, but even they knew the scene was cute. "These people wanted me to distract that monster so you could kill it. Did it work?" The boy gave a glaring double take at the arrested cultists that made the guard glad the kid was on their side.

Cause Heaven knew they had enough enemies without him.

"It's dead, who the hell do you think I am?" The girl giggled though the guard knew there was a certain strength in those words, "So...wanna see X-Men: First Class later?"

"Okay." Deciding to leave the two obvious lovebirds be, the guard had his men usher the arrested cultists to be dealt with in the Hall of Justice. All but one who he recognized as a student...

* * *

**District 16, Angel Groove**

Shinji didn't know why he was wondering through the currently flooded District 16. The team had quietly gone off in their separate ways, some to check on their homes and families while Simon leapt off into hyperspace muttering something about slugging Rossieu. Watching Simon pull the impossible made Shinji sometimes wish he could be just a little bit awesome too.

But...would that fix any of his problems?

Shinji paused and fell to his knee to balance himself. He grabbed his chest and struggled through one of his..."fits". Even after the all of the battles he'd been through Eva, including six angels back in Tokyo...he never got used to the "fits." Just another glorious side-effect of piloting Eva, at least now he could actually manage to stand on his feet.

"This is a deplorable action from people at your age!" Shinji heard a suspiciously familiar voice chatise, "Forcing a thirteen year old girl to dangle on a flimsy stick and feed her to a giant sea monster!"

"Miss Horaki, we were trying to save the city-" The college-aged begger was silenced with a loud slap from the girl Shinji now recognized.

"Just for that...you'll have afterclass duties for the rest of the year! And just wait till I tell the principal!" The girl yelled while the begger was grabbed by two guards and dragged away.

"Please! Don't tell Pops about this! PLEASE!" The man pleaded and cried, but was still hauled into a prison-hover carrier while Shinji observed it fly off. It was amazing just how picky Kaiba was about what he funded and what he didn't.

"Hikari?" The pig tailed girl turned when Shinji called her and seeing her freckled face pretty much confirmed her identity to Shinji, "It is you...Class Rep Hikari Horaki."

"Shinji Ikari..." Shinji was a bit off put by how she said his name. To him, it sounded as though she didn't ever want to see him again, that being sent to Angel Groove and never coming back was supposed to be the last that anyone was to hear about him.

"Sorry...I'll just..." Shinji had his eyes shut so tightly that he was almost startled to feel a pair of arms wrapped around him. He opened his eyes and saw that Hikari Horaki...was hugging him. A blush was also growing on his checks because Hikari's face was right next to his...her mouth uncomfortably close to his ear...

"WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ANYONE?" Hikari yelled in Shinji's ear loud enough to bust the eardrum if not for the horrors he had already heard throughout his life.

"Well-"

"You have any idea how worried everyone was when you got kidnapped by pirates?" Hikari chided, though Shinji could see concern in her eyes, "Kensuke stopped obsessing over Evas! Asuka started taking cold showers! Rei...was more verbal with Asuka! Mari acted calm and Toji became humble...TOJI SUZAHARA HUMBLE!" The image of Toji not arguing with Asuka brought horror to the reaches of Shinji's mind, "So yeah! We've been worried about you! And don't get me started about Miss Katsuragi!"

* * *

**Meanwhile...NERV HQ, Tokyo-3**

Tunniel and Matarael had just attacked the city and they were destroyed with the usual cost to the city budget. So to cover the cost for repairing the Evangelion units, the city's air-conditioning unit was cut so that Nerv could repair it's six units of mass devastation.

Then again, it wasn't as though anyone could argue.

"Colonel Katsuragi..." Commander Ikari said from his desk, which was conviently still air-conditioned and everyone else was left to deal with the heat, "You haven't turned in the report from the last battle-"

"F%$k off Gendo." Everyone paused to hear Katsuragi, wearing a shirt shirt and mini-skirt to ease off the heat, just say that to her commanding officer.

Most others didn't live a second after they did likewise.

"Pardon me Colonel?" Ikari was answered with a middle finger from Katsuragi.

Maybe it was just that time of the month.

"You think you can just stroll around here like you own the place after setting off Second Impact, killing my father along with billions of people, and not giving a s^*t about your own captured son!" Some in the bridge were feeling sorry for they're compliance to Gendo while others were distracted by Misato's shown...bouncing...huge...tracks of land...

"Your point?" Gendo still wondered he didn't just transfer her to a city where he knew she'd likely die.

"You sir, are an bastard!" Everyone but Gendo was aghast at Misato's words towards a man so powerful that he could kill you, kill your family and burn your whole city to the ground with a tinkering of his glasses, "And an asshole." With that, she stomped out of the bridge, her tracks of land bouncing with each step and a pile of paperwork left for some poor intern to fill out.

"How long did it take her to figure that out?" Gendo asked his nearby aide.

"You don't want me to answer that Ikari." Fuyuutski choose not to answer though he was somewhat close to his limit in tolerating Gendo's bastardness.

* * *

**Back to the wimp**

"Well...I'm fine now." Shinji said, trying very hard not to think about his friends back home...who he wouldn't be able to see for a long time. He briefly returned the hug, and gently pushed Hikari's arms back to her side. "What are you doing here?"

"Transferred...the Newgate Academy liked my academic achievements so much that they let me transfer here for a college master's in educational psychology."

"Wow...that's pretty cool-" Shinji was cut off yet again, this time by Hikari bracing her hand off of Shinji's shoulder, leaping over his head and dive-kicking someone behind him. Shinji turned to see the Class Rep. with her foot against a would-be-looter's neck.

The sight was kind of hot to Shinji.

"That's not how you ask for something!" Shinji wasn't too sure the man was listening or too caught up in his own fear. But, he got enough from Hikari's demonstration to leave her alone and run away screaming. The Class Rep. exhaled and her face resembled her own rather than that of a ruthless interrogator, "Sometimes you have to be a little tough to get the point across."

"True." Shinji agreed, remembering the less-than pleasant tactics he'd been forced to use against the enemies the team had faced in the past week, "Wanna see First Class with me?" The question was completely random and as far as Shinji knew, X-Men was a very obscure American interest which most Japanese kids didn't care much for.

"I'm not much of an X-Men fan..." Hikari answered though Shinji was still a bit shot-down despite understanding, "But who cares...I could use a good action movie."

"Atta girl." Now Shinji had the feeling that Kamina was rubbing off on him too much, "I've gotta go and make sure Eva gets repaired."

"What? Eva's here?"

"Yeah, Kaiba bought it from Nerv and gave me the job of protecting the place." Though a quick glance around the district and neighboring flooded areas told Shinji that the team had room for improvement, "How are we doing?"

"We're still alive." Hikari shrugged, "Thank you."

"It's just my job." Shinji said, "Anyway, see you later."

"Bye." Hikari said before turning to leave, leaving Shinji to watch her go. A thought suddenly occurred to Shinji when he realized that she would have to navigate across the delicate make-shift bridges created by the US manufactured M104 Wolverine units set on the tops of unflooded buildings. The problem was that the uneven terrain of the building tops and the looped look of the bridges tended to be a hassel to most civilians crossing them.

And ten accidents had already been reported.

"Where's you apartment? I'll walk you home right quick." Shinji called out before Hikari stepped onto a bridge that Shinji was pretty sure would be doomed to fall soon.

"It's...in District 36..." Hikari answered, it wasn't a no but it seemed to Shinji that she didn't want to be a bother. Apparently she wasn't used to being the subject of such care often.

Shinji wished he had her luck (Think about his usual homelife in Tokyo).

"Shall we then?" Shinji almost felt like offering his hand was the most cliqued thing he could do at that moment. Sure, chivalry is nice, but overtly doing it had somehow become a turn-off for modern society and the young Ikari felt as though he'd overcompensated...

Until she took his hand and nodded with a smile.

* * *

**Angel Groove Maintenance Hanger**

"Status on Unit 01's repairs?" Kaiba commed to an intern in the Maintenance control center.

"Sir! We're trying to remove armor plating but-" The intern was interrupted by the roar of Evangelion followed by an engineer being thrown against the glass behind her, "Damn it! Apply the tranquilizer before you remove the plating!"

"Told ya we should've used clones-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Seto said as the intern was wrenched from her seat and pulled out of her office by a purple armored hand, "Call the Nerv Help Hotline."

"But-" The young Kaiba then gave a blank face when he saw the aforementioned intern's arm hanging from a sadistic looking Eva Unit 01, "Fine..." Mokuba walked away from the growingly horrific scene and picked up a phone, "Nerv Help Hotline? Yeah can you direct me to Evangelion technical support...thanks." He waited, somehow maintaining the will to tune out the growing sounds of death and horror from Unit 01's hanger. Finally, he heard a woman pick up on the other line, "Hi, I'm trying to replace damaged armor platings and the Eva keeps killing the engineers..." Mokuba was a fan of violence despite appearences but even he was slightly put off from the woman's laughter, "That's not funny! Can you help me or not!" He picked up a pen and started writing down what the technician in Japan instructed, "Thanks...okay...alright." At least an hour had to have passed before Mokuba got down everything he needed, "K, thanks for the-" It takes a certain discipline to be on the phone for a long time and Mokuba was barely keeping from crushing his from what the woman just said, "Don't talk bad about my big brother you old hag!" He could've sworn the woman became a bat out of hell from the volume she was now ranting. The fact that she was speaking Japanese made it all the more annoying, "If you're so good why don't come over here yourself old lady!" His patience at an end, Mokuba slammed the phone into a wall and destroyed it.

"Sir?" A nearby intern cautiously approached the young Kaiba from behind. He handed his notepad to her without looking as he breathed slowly, "I'll get these to them immediately." Mokuba just walked away from the Maintanence area and found himself in his own office. It wasn't egotistical like his brother's but some things in this office could leave a strange impression.

Like the picture of a blue-haired girl in a wet see-through bikini hanging over the Hawaiian punch fountain Mokuba took a drink out of.

"Hi Shinji." Mokuba said to the japanese kid when he walked into the younger Kaiba's office.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba." Mokuba couldn't help but notice that he was slightly less angsty for some reason.

"It's Mokuba and we just started our repairs." Mokuba led Ikari through the Halls of his brother's needlessly large compound, "If you'll follow me, you can help us with our limited knowledge of Eva."

"Sure...this won't take long will it?" Surprisingly, Mokuba could see that Ikari probably had a date tonight or something. The younger Kaiba thought it would be a good idea, Shinji seemed like the type who kept way too much pent up.

"Not really, we phoned the old hag at NERV." Mokuba felt the temperature in the room drop and turned to see a shaking Shinji looking like he'd just seen Tim Curry killing a little boy while dressed as Ronald Mcdonald.

"Hope you didn't say that to her-"

"I did." Mokuba noticed a look of rare horror on Shinji's Ikari's face that now made him a bit nervous. "What?"

"She's tried to kill people for calling her that." Mokuba had the feeling that she or her mother had probably killed someone for calling her old.

"My adopted father had me stretched across a bed of infected needles whenever I got any less than an A, including an A minus." Mokuba informed the seemingly tranquil Shinji. Just what had this kid been through?

"Beats out my grandma."

"Grandma? I thought you were raised by an uncle."

"I was traded between my grandma and my uncle." Shinji explained as if it was normal, "She's a doctor in a pretty high level army development project...something about...Mjornir..."

"That explains some of your mental instability." Mokuba concluded when they came to Evangelion's hanger and found that a good 2/5ths of the crew were being carried away in body bags, "Hey...it's gotten the job done so far."

"Okay then." Shinji breathed and stepped towards the Evangelion, the crew watched pensively as he climbed along it's armor and manuelly opened the pilot hatch to enter the Eva. As systems confirmed that Shinji had synched with Unit 01, a single thought ran through the minds of most the tech crew.

"What madness makes him immune to the monstrosity of that thing!"

"His father." Mokuba answered rhetorically and as if on que, the crew returned to running tests on the now gratefully stable Evangelion.

* * *

**Fanelian Embassy**

"Thanks for letting us crash at your place." Kamina thanked the young japanese schoolgirl engaged to his little bro's teammate. Even though the Dai-Gurren Brigade had dealt with far worse than flooded homes, they didn't hesitate to take the Fanelian King up on his offer of beds and food that wasn't wet.

"It's no problem, you've helped out Van so much he's practically indebted." Hitomi led the group into the Embassy and was greeted by the sound of screams and swords loudly clanging against each other, "Oh great, they're practicing..."

"Lord Van! Hitomi let a biker gang in!" A little catgirl up the stairs screamed before she ran out of sight. Simon had a feeling that she did this a lot.

"Biker gang?" Simon was soon surprised when a large platoon of soldiers appeared with their swords and spears raised at the Dai-Gurren Brigade. The Brigade just glared at them, daring the soldiers to attack and the some of the soldiers shuddered from the awesomeness that radiated from the Brigade.

"Guys! They're Van's friends!" The guards simueltaniously knelt down in response to Hitomi's words and left the room stepping backwards while still having their heads bowed, "Sorry about that, Van's royal guard is really protective."

"They're just doing there-" Kamina would have patted Hitomi's back but having two guards appear and have spears cross over his hand told thim that this was a bad idea...for most people. But Kamina saw what this really was, "Let me guess...no approaching the king's lady?"

"Correct." One of the guards answered, "Unless he or she gives permission."

"He's already taken guys." Hitomi said with a sign, pointing out Kamina's well-endowed sniper in the bikini top. Steam of arousal off of their armor as they lowered their lances and ran to the bathroom with a box of tissues. "Let me show you guys around..."

* * *

**Smith Residence**

"Look man...we've still got the top floor," Bit tried to reason with his teammate while holding all of his girlfriend's unneeded necessities. Also, the three of them were in an elevator and he was uncomfortable about elevators, "We can sleep on the roof for-"

"Bit...the Negotiator and Bro codes forbid me from leaving you without aid." Roger stated to Bit as the elevator rose to the higher levels of the Smith Residence, "So just smile and accept it."

"No complaints here!" Leena called out when the elevator closed and Roger allowed her to leave first as gentlemen should. Bit, barely managed to step out of the elevator and dropped all of his girlfriend's stuff.

"Shouldn't you carry those to her room?" Roger asked, Bit had a feeling he'd be pushing about being a gentleman despite not offering to carry anything himself. Isn't there a rule somewhere in the Bro Code that stated that a comrade should another comrade with physical endeavors?

"I'll let him off the hook Mr. Smith, I can take it from here." Leena said as she blew a kiss to her boyfriend just before the elevator doors closed. Leaving Bit with a small percentage that this box of metal going up and down by a wire would malfunction and there goes the rest of his life.

"So..." Bit barely heard Roger he was so uncomfortable in this elevator, "How did you meet her?"

"We were on the same team and then..." Truth be told, Bit wasn't really sure about what exactly he did to get with Leena...but it did have something to do with a party that had Berry White and Jello Shots, "It just happened."

"That's the usual story." Roger said as if something similar had happened to him. Finally, the elevator stopped and Bit jumped out as if the doors were about to close at any minute. After relaxing he whistled when he saw the room he was now in.

"So this is Big-O's hanger..." Bit was quietly sarcastically impressed that a billionaire was able to have such an expansively large hanger for a single mecha. "You and your butler make repairs by yourself?"

"Most of the time." Roger explained as they made their way to where Big-O was docked, "Recently, Norman's hired help since he's coming up in years but they're alright...KEEP HER AWAY FROM THE COCKPIT!" Roger started dashing for Big-O with Bit close behind. After climbing a ladder, Bit noticed that some techs were working on Big-O's cockpit and one of them wasn't allowed any distance because of the wires attempting to pull the young woman into it's core.

"Big O! That's ungentlemen-like! Control yourself!" At Roger's admonishment, the wires receded back into the cockpit. Much to everyone's relief as Roger walked over to the still shaken mechanic, "I sincerely apologize..."

"Oh don't worry it wouldn't be the first time." The Mechanic said, brushing off Roger's concern. "Big-O has...needs...all males do."

"Build him a playmate..." Roger's glare suggested that Bit rethink his words, "Or I'll just fix Liger..." Bit's Liger Zero was placed on a ramp close to the entrance to the transportation system Roger allowed him to borrow to get the Zoid there and looked like it had seen better days honestly.

"I do say...it's remarkable that you've been able to work so well on Liger." Norman observed after climbing out of the zoid's cockpit.

"I've spent a long time with him," Bit explained, "When we first met, I was just a junk dealer scrapping a living from parts I'd take from zoidss battles. Then I got to join the Blitz Team and...the rest is history."

* * *

**Kaiba Corp Development Lab**

"Big brother! Someone went crazy in the simulator again!" Seto heard his little brother yell as he turned from his computer screen.

"What is it this time?" Seto demanded, watching his brother pant from running down twenty flights of stairs because he's too lazy to make an elevator.

"GM pilot tried to show off and turned the dial to eleven." Mokuba explained, "He'll be in a coma for at least a year."

"Whatever...By the way, how come I have to fix that Eva when everyone else can fix their own mecha?" Seto just watched his little brother shrug and smirk in that way that told Seto he'd been a baaddd boy, "You called her an old hag?"

"Just like you said."

"Bout time you did something right..." Kaiba then turned his attention back to his ridiculously big computer screen(though it palls to the size of his ego) and continued typing on his computer, "Now let's see if Nerv crawls to us."

"What are you doing?"

"Buying shares in Nintendo."

"You really think the Japanese will let you do that?" As nice as they were, Mokuba knew that his brother knew that the world knew never to mess with anything the Japanese love. The list included: Samurai, Shinto Shrines, School-girls, Robots, Gundam, Final Fantasy...and Nintendo was somewhere towards the very top.

"All in good time, Mokuba." Seto merely said before going through with his deviously complicated plan.

* * *

**_Secret Location on an unidentified mass of land which you'll never know existed...because it doesn't exist._**

At the moment, the director of Nerv was slowly counting away in his mind and thanked whatever god actually existed that he would only have to tolerate these dominoes around him for a little while longer.

"Ikari." Seele 04 spoke, "How dare you let Unit 1 fall into the hands of that card game obsessed child."

"This will not interfere with the schedule."

"We fail to agree Ikari." Gendo never liked the condescending tone in Seele 08's voice.

"Whatever the case, the scenario remains unchanged." For Gendo, maintaining his calm in the face of his adversaries was an art he'd crafted for the past twenty years, "We can easily substitute one of the other pilots if necessary. Even then, I've already petitioned the courts, soon Unit 1 will return to NERV."

"It's good to hear that-" Seele 10 never got to finish his statement due to whatever was causing him to grasp and writhe in agony before his domino vanished.

"By the way gentlemen." Gendo's face remained unchanged as he heard the screams of terror and pain from the other dominos as they disapeered from view, "Did I ever once mention that this would be your schedule?"

"Ikari you bastard!" Seele 11 yelled before he vanished, leaving none but Gendo and Keel present in the assembly room. Naturally, Keel was unphasized, as if he knew that he would not be terminated by Gendo's newly dealt hand.

"And I love it." Gendo allowed himself to smile, watching as the dominoes reappeared, "Is the changing the guard complete? Genome?"

"That's Lordgenome and how do I turn this domino-" Domino 04 vanished to reveal a screen that displayed the Spiral Warrior in all of his glory, "That's much better."

"Why are you using your face and voice?" Seele 07's replacement asked.

"I'm Lordgenome, who do I have to fear?"

"Excuse me gentlemen, I seem to have a riot on my hands." Gendo said, allowing the room to vanish as he turned off the holoprojector and found himself answering the phone in his office. Death threats were common for this man, but the news that he just learned caused a reaction at the least, "He did what?"

* * *

**_Elsewhere...on the moon_**

Tabris was now terribly bored. It turned out that Liam Neeson's daughter was actually out with her attractive yet noble and trustworthy fiancee and he felt pretty bad about releasing the Kraken upon an innocent city because of his over-protectiveness.

Not to mention getting the Kraken turned into Sushi.

Which left Tabris with the task of unleashing another monstrosity upon the world. Unlike last time however, he had already picked out this next target.

"Hit the Panic Button on the Dragon." Tabris sang as he threw down the lance onto his target sleeping far within the mantle of the earth, "He's frustrated that he has one."

* * *

**Angel Groove District 27**

"Did anyone else just feel that?" Simon asked the others, noting the huge shake that had vibrated through his feet. Life in the mines wasn't something Simon liked to think back to, but they did teach him a valid lesson about keeping track of seismic movements.

This one wasn't natural.

"Feel what?" Shinji asked in reply as they stood in the moving line to the theater. Simon was a bit disapointed that none of the Dai-Gurren Brigade had wanted to go with him and Nia to see X-Men. Even though there were a small group of people in black cloaks with a flaming skull with sunglasses on the back that no one else wore who seemed very familiar and suspicious to Simon.

"The ground just shook." Simon said then felt the ground relax, "Never mind..."

"IDs." Shinji and Simon gave their id's to the cashier in response. Even though this was a PG-13 movie, neither felt any reason to be mad about being mistaken for children. "What'll it be Captains?"

"Captains?" The boys were shocked to have been called by those ranks.

"Yeah...it says here that the two of you are Defense Force Field Majors." The Cashier stated with an apparently suspiciously raised eyebrow.

"Look they're not-"

"Don't worry I'm just messing with you boys." The cashier laughed, though the boys weren't amused, "Sides, if they were fake then he wouldn't have let you through." The kids looked in the direction the cashier motioned towards and saw a robot

"Step away from the predestrians!" A robotic voice boomed from the very much active ED-209 unit.

"Do as he says." The cashier warned the young emo git. Seeing that his friend's wouldn't back him up, the git pulled away from the line with his hands up.

"Present valid Identification!" The droid held it's gun-filled arms at the git while he pulled out an id card from his wallet, "Identification confirmed...TARGET ACQUIRED!" All eyes but Shinji, Nia and Simon's went wide from seeing the Droid open fire on the young teen. Except in the place of blood and guts splattering onto the ground, bolts and wires were thrown into the ground instead.

"Another Decepiticon in human form." The cashier muttered under the gunfire of the armored security droid, "Those guys need to work on their disguises." As the kids watched, ED had now walked over to where the teen had fallen without relenting in it's barrage. The teen was now an ever minimizing pile of scrap, metallic liquid and plastic that had before looked like skin.

"Decepticon?" Nia asked as Simon and Shinji calmly led the girls into the theater while everyone else was apalled at the scene of brutal warfare.

"Cybernetic terrorists known to transform into vehicles to disguise themselves." Hikari explained to the characteristically tranquil girl while Simon and Shinji briefly looked back to see ED finally cease fire and scan the pile that was the decepticon with a red flash that emitted from it's guns.

"Target Destroyed." ED declared before turning it's guns onto the onlooking crowd, "Move along civilians." The civilians did just that without an argument as the Unit pointed towards a passing police car and opened fire. The police car promptly crashed on the other side of the street and transformed into a damaged 16 ft. tall robot that roared as it threw a spiked lance at ED.

"That was a mistake." ED stated, ignoring the lance sticking out of it's visor and armed a three-round rocket launcher on its right arm and twin mortar launchers for in it's head, "YOU GET NO CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST!" It fired five rounds, two mortars in both sides of Decepticon's outer chest, two in it's lower chest and one for the upper chest just below the neck. After the rounds impacted, the decepticon writhed in pain and crawled towards the shorter droid.

Until the rounds exploded.

"Simon! Something blew up!" Nia cried as she tugged Simon's sleeve while the explosion swept virtually everyone else off of their feet.

"Did you guys just see that?" A surprised Hikari cried after getting on her feet with Shinji's help, who along with Simon hadn't bothered to turn around and look.

"After one exploding moment, you've seen them all." Shinji reasoned to his stunned date, who kept looking from the explosion just outside the theater to an unfazed Shinji.

"You know how many explosions I see in a week?" Simon asked an expectant Nia, "Lots of them...all the time...they bore me now." Nia took her date's dull reaction with an excited giggle. Hikari had the feeling that Nia likely knew what Simon was talking about.

Not bothering with popcorn or drinks, Simon led Nia, Shinji and Hikari into the theater hall and took their seat in the front row. Despite the fact that they had arrived somewhat late, Shinji was puzzled that a single commercial hadn't played.

A maintainance issue from the look of it. Or maybe people had finally gotten sick of the commercials.

"Even without the events of 40 years ago," Shinji gasped when he heard a voice speak in his ear, "I think Man would still be a creature that fears the dark."

"Oh come on who's-" Simon stopped when he saw the same surprised look on Nia and Hikari's faces, "I wasn't the only one who heard that?"

"He doesnt face that fear; he averts his eyes from it and acts as if he never had any memories of his history." Why did it seem as though this voice was talking to him? Who was he? What would he know about Shinji's history? But even then, somewhere in his mind, Shinji realized that this man was right.

"But, 40 years can be both a brief time and yet a long time." Now Shinji realized that the words of this man was heard throughout the audience, "Man's fear has withered and even time tries to wither the desire to now the truth."

"Is it a crime to try and learn the truth?" Someone in the audience started boeing as the voice continued to speak, "Is it a sin to search for those things which you fear?"

"Fear it is something vital to us puny creatures." The word's of this unseen sage seemed to hit Shinji's psyche with disturbing accuracy, "The instant man stops fearing is the instant the species will reach a dead end. Only to sink to pitiable lows only to sit and wait apathetically for extinction."

"Wake up! Don't be afraid of knowledge!" Knowledge? Why would anyone be afraid of knowledge? Doesn't the truth set us free. Shinji paused as he thought of the man's words.

"Humans who lose the capacity to think become creatures who's existence has no value." It as though a mirror had been slammed into Shinji's face. The reflection was of himself when he first came to Nerv. He stared back at the image, at the boy who's life had no meaning, a sad little puppy who was content to be tossed aside and then called back like a penny whore, "Think, you humans who are split into two worlds, unless you want the gulf between humans to expand into oblivion, you must think!" Shinji watched as the mental mirror broke and now he saw himself now.

What he saw caused him to smirk.

"And Now...Our Feature Presentation!" The audience cheered when the screen turned back on to show the X-men logo. But the four children on the front row were still reeling from the lecture they'd received from that strange voice.

"That was...weird..." Even as the word's left Shinji's mouth he couldn't help but feel that they were an understatement.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

Walking through the Angel Groove Command Center, Simon was in a great mood. Sure, Angel Groove wasn't quite what that commercial with the powerthirst drink Kamina drinks all the time had said it would be. But he loved every minute of being here.

Sure, yesturday was a huge cluster of confusion from that incident with the police car and that emo git, but Simon enjoyed the X-Men movie and so did Nia. Further, it looked like Shinji was becoming less depressed and angsty for some reason which increased chances for another double date.

Nia was also living with the Dai-Gurren group, at least she would be by the end of the week. This and the fact that he'd received a note from Kaiba promising a bonus for his recent good work really served to perk the young man's spirits.**  
**

"Someone give me a piece of the-" Simon's rising excitement was tamed when he saw the angry and dissapointed faces of the crew inside the command center as he entered, "There is no cake." His mood dropped more when everyone slowly nodded their faces, "It's Kaiba isn't it?" Another group of nods pretty destroyed Simon's mood and he took his place next to an equally dissappointed Shinji, "How did he get you?"

"Cake and the Necromoniom." Shinji's answer earned him a questioning eyebrow but he didn't seem to really care. Besides, everyone was turning their attention the opening doors leading into Kaiba's usual spot in the Command Center.

"Hello fellow defenders of the Angel Groove Defense Force-" Kaiba stopped to avoid a backstab with a playing card and then slashed the card across the man's neck, "So you noticed that there is no cake. But Mokuba will soon be here with something better than a cake." Everyone was so angry at Kaiba that they failed to notice his would-be assassin bleeding out behind him.

"Better be a pie." Since this whole meeting had kept Bit from making his favorite pie with Leena, he expected Kaiba to compensate.

"Or a batch of cookies." Roger heard a crewmember say, the negotiator would have given a questioning glance if not for the fact that the employee happened to have been a Qunari.

You don't want to mess with those guys.

"Good news everyone!" Mokuba stepped into the Main Center with a bounce in his step, "Kaiba Corp has acquired a new mutually beneficial asset to our capabilities."

"A new pumping system to drain out our flooded homes?" As nice as the Smith Residence was, Bit preferred to do his business at home.

"More funds for enhancements to our mecha?" As much as he hated to admit it, Van knew that keeping Escaflowne on the cutting edge of technology tended to help when you're trying to win and survive.

"A better contract?" Smith had recently overlooked his initial agreement with Kaiba and found a disturbing loophole.

"Respect and rights as an emancipated adult?" Shinji would've been just happen with thanks for protecting Kaiba's city, but somehow...young Ikari felt bold since talking with Hikari

"A bakery?" That way, Simon could make all the cookies and cake with Nia and the rest of the team...Okay just Nia. Baking sweets was on the dangerous border between manliness and being a doormat so it would be best not to let Kamina know about the bakery.

"No! We've successfully bought out Nintendo! Which means we're expanding our facility." Seto answered, putting everyone's hopes to scraps as soon as they rose from the prospect of owning Nintendo, "Which means half of you are getting fired." Everyone but the pilots started to become extremely nervous from Kaiba's words, "I'm just screwing with you all...but you're all still getting cuts to your paychecks." Relieved as they were about still having a job, they weren't too thrilled about a cut to they're paychecks, "In exchange for enchanced defenses in the city districts..." Even if they knew it was a false lead, everyone got their hopes up anyway, "Around the area where Kaibaland is being built." Some of the crew now wondered why they were even working for Kaiba.

"Sir..." The panting informant that had ran into the room was breathing so hard that he could barely say a word.

"What? I'm making an announcement-" Kaiba looked up and deadpanned, "Is that a really red eye on the viewscreen?" To everyone else's shock and horror, they were being hailed by a great red eye surrounded by black metallic scales and plating.

"Deathwing." The crew looked up to Optimis' jar when the autobot head spoke, "I thought he was destroyed during Second Impact."

"Well everyone thought Michael Bay killed you with explosions but your head's still here, right?" Optimis seemed to glare at Kaiba, but since he's a robot without a soul, it really couldn't be said, "Alright...what do you want?"

**"Pain... agony..." **The voice on the other side of the viewscreen filled everyone in the Command Center with a heat that uncomfortably settled around their spines.

"He doesn't sound happy." Bit remarked while a guy next to him fainted, unable to stand because of the heat from this creature.

**"My hatred burns through the cavernous deeps..." **The voice said again, this time a tremor vibrated the center and caused some within to slip from their feet.

"Why? Did we do something to you?" Simon asked, epically oblivious to the fear that took over the crowd within the center as the quakes grew even greater.

**"The world heaves with my torment! Its wretched kingdoms quake beneath my rage!" **Shinji could've sworn that he'd just heard a dragon roar and heard someone whimper under their breath next to him. Part of Shinji wanted to do the same, but would it really help the situation?**  
**

"Okay, if you're the one causing these earthquakes then I command you to stop!" Kaiba's defiance was only making the crew even more unnerved.

**"PUNY MORTALS!" **Somehow the very volume of Deathwing caused half of the Staff to collapse into unconsciousness while the team listened on,** "I have had many names throughout history, all of them spoken with dread: Neltharion, Xaxas, and many more. Yet you shall know me best as Deathwing, for so I am! I am the bane of all life, the darkness within history, the lord of death, the master of destruction. And I tell you now, and so it is true, that this world is mine!"**

"Then come and take it." Kaiba answered, somehow unintimidated by this speaker, "Also get some clear-eye for those eyes."

"Sir..." A radar analyst stated, "He's...of...fend...ed..." His fear brought Kaiba's attention to the world map which showed an intense heat signature rising in the Western Alps.

"Level one battlestations." Kaiba commanded, seeming surprised by the staff's look of utter shock and horror, "Okay...if I promise to only cut a quarter of your saleries will you go to battle stations?"

"They're shocked that your so non-chalat about fighting one of the most powerful dragons to ever walk the earth." It was times like these that Mokuba wandered if his brother's ego was destroying him from the inside out.

"If it ain't blue-eyed and white then I don't know what they're talking about."

* * *

**District 12**

Roger took out his watch and called upon his partner-in-crime, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shot out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

Shinji's clenched his teeth and steered his "_courage_", "Evangelion! Unit 1!" he cried at the top of his wimpy voice as he leapt into a nearby open hatch. Fortunately the latch widened to reveal Unit 01 pulled up by a levy with Shinji barely managing to balance on the Eva's horn before jumping into the pilot's slot.

Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero Jaeger!" At once, Liger Zero Jaeger jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne lets do this!" A giant rock appeared out of nowhere and Escaflowne broke out of the giant rock and kneeled down behind Van.

Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon.

"Sir, why can't we have an awesome summoning sequence like that?" A GM pilot asked his commanding officer.

"We're soldiers, gunny! We don't need to pose and take thirty minutes to call out our mechs!" The Sarge yelled, "If it's loaded and it kills, that's all we need..."

"What's the dragon's ETA?" Bit asked the Command Center over the comm.

"Command Intel has it's ETA at two hours-" A gulp was heard through the shared channel, which was usually bad news, "Make it thirty minutes."

"Hey guys...question." This had bugged Bit ever since he'd made repairs to Liger and Big-O despite Roger's protest and he had to let the others in on it, "Doesn't it feel like out deployment was...recycled somehow?" Silence was the answer Bit expected and that was exactly what he got.

"We can't let it near the city." Roger suggested wondering just how long Bit was up last night.

"Then we shall go to the city's border and make our stand there!" Van declared to all present and since he's king, you could say that was his deployment plan.

"Then let's bring out our guns!" Simon cried out, "Combine."

"Combine!" The rest of the team called at the same time.

"Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." The computer voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form.

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets. The boasters of Jaeger also formed into Mecha Lord's.

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Lord activated," The computer said as Mecha Lord stood with arms crossed, the defense force mobile suits cheered on it's arrival with expected zeal.

"All units! Converge on Mecha Lord and move out!" Commander Armada ordered as the Angel Groove Defense Force followed Mecha Lord through the city streets, some units occasionally stopped to wave at cheering civilians watching them pass but they kept on their march, intent on protecting their city.

"I know I should be more worried about what we're facing but..." Bit knew that no one else was listening but he couldn't help but get this question out of this head, "Why do I feel like our combining syncronization was...recycled!"

* * *

**Somewhere in the Earth's Mantle that I'd never one to be in**

How he hated it.

Being trapped in this mountain for what seemed like a millenia, hearing the puny humans walk upon the earth above him, mocking his absence with ignorance.

How he hated them.

The feeling of those puny hammers beating against the armor that kept his power in check.

Then there was the spear.

A white haired humanoid with disturbingly red eyes floated just above him and mocked that he had thrown a white lance into his skull from beyond the sky. Even now, he could feel the object cause him such annoyance that his frustration now fuelled his restlessness.

Oh...he hated that boy.

He reminded him of that glowing white giant he had fought fifteen years ago. The one that caused the humans in Antarctica to turn into orange juice and get sucked into a small black ball which the giant swallowed and then...everything else...confused him.

He hated to be confused.

To make his matter's worse, some mortal engineer had turned the horrifying song of Barney the Dinosaur up to eleven and tortured his ears with that fake dinosaur's singing to little children doomed to die.

He **hated** Barney.

But now, he felt the hammer's stop. He felt the laughter of king's and lord's proud of their dominion over nothing. He felt his hatred build within him like a fire ready to ignite at the slightest touch.

His wrath was as a typhone.

The mountain that laid over him burst into oblivion at his emergence. His wings carried with them the flames of his hatred as he flew through the air. Even now, he felt the millions who saw his emergence and fed on the smell of their despair. The flames of his flight fell behind him in a trail that ignited all that they touched for months to come.

But it was not they that he sought.

He roared when he came to the end of the human continent of Eurasia and roared a mighty roar that caused the sea's to fall in fear of his arrival. Even the water he flew over would be set on fire and burn before the trail of his power.

No, he preserved the greatest share of his wrath for the city that lie on the other end of this massive ocean called the Pacific. The groove of angel's commanded by the man named Kaiba, he would feast on the fool's ego and mount his head upon the highest mountain as an example of what occurred when one angered the mightiest of dragons.

* * *

**Outskirts of District 7**

The Roar of the incoming dragon vibrated across the ground and through the mechanisms of the Defense Force assembled on the border. Some were piloting light blue-green ones that Kaiba had bought from the UN colonial defense patrol and others were in the scrapped together units that the pilots were forced to piece together themselves because their boss is a jerk. Mecha Lord stood in the middle of the crowd, it's pilots anticipating the battle that was soon to come.

"Here he comes..." A bridge bunny reported, Shinji couldn't help but cynically wonder what gave the target away. Was it's massive black form? Or the trail of destructive flames that followed behind it's flight?

"Ah...Van?" Bit asked over the comm, "In D&D terms, what size class was the dragon you killed?"

"I'd say Huge..." Van slowly answered, "What size class is that dragon?"

"Can't really say yet." Bit read through known data about the target's size and released a long breath, "Um...Colossal at least."

"There's size classes higher than that!" Obviously Van hadn't played a lot of D&D.

"What kind of dragon?" Bit was now reading through the D&D Draconium and becoming increasingly terrified of the abilities that each race of dragon possessed.

"Stop talking about D&D and focus!" Kaiba rebuked over the comm when Deathwing came closer and closer to Angel Groove's border.

"Oh look! He's flying away!" A GM private said when Deathwing diverted it's path up into the air. Obviously, this would give the troops a fresh surge of false hope that they would not have to fight this creature.

"We don't have to fight him!" Roger really hated it when people tempted fate because now the dragon had flown back down and landed it's massive form upon the mountain ridge. His draconic scales were black and red magma appeared to be surging throughout the dragon's entire body. In addition to the plates that covered his body, Deathwing also had an enormous metal brace covering his lower jaw. Realizing that he may not make it to dinner, he decided to comm someone, "This is a good scene to summarize our situation..."

"Well...shit?" Infantry Captain Dalstan answered from somewhere in the defense force, "Figured." Deathwing marched down the mountainous ridge that overlooked the defense force, the dragon's every step left a melting impression in the landscape walked upon as if it's very presence caused the dirt to combust into flames. The Defense Force immediately opened fire which did nothing to stop the dragon's advance towards them.

The Dragon roared a thunderous roar that shook the ground and vibrated through the spines of the Mecha Lord pilots. Roger managed to remain calm as did Bit. Simon was focusing on the picture of Nia in his cockpit in order to steer his resolve and not panic. Van mentally reminded himself that he'd killed a dragon before in order to stave off the overwhelming presence of Deathwing...in fact, as Balgus put it when you kill one dragon you can kill em all...though his one kill was done with his current fiancee's help...but a kill's a kill! Shinji, didn't react at all. It wasn't fearlessness that caused this oh no...he was taking inventory, trying to count off the names of people who'd miss him if he died. Something he did since he was four and his father left him on the doorstep of the director of the Mjornir Program. He'd recently added a few names and he smiled.

Meanwhile, the Defense Force GM's stopped firing and slupped into the ground.

"Oh come maggots! He's a dragon but don't go down without even a middle finger to his face," The team heard Folley rebuke over the comm, "He made the gm's faint? Screw this! Ramirez! We're getting the hell outta here! Use this flash grenade to cover our escape!" Somewhere behind them, a flash grenade was thrown over Mecha Lord and into the dragon's face, creating a minimal flash that caused it to blink.

And pissed it off even more.

"So much for a coordinated defense." Roger deadpaned before turning his attention to the massive dragon stomping towards them, "Mecha Lord! Action!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_**Deathwing the Destroyer **_**has cometh, will the Mecha Rangers be able to stand...**

**or are they royally screwed?**

**But at least there wasn't any gorn...unless you believe Decepticon's have souls...**

**FYI: Eventual Couples should be obvious.  
**


	5. Spill the Wrath pt 2

**Border of District 7 and 12**

After the Defense Force passed through, a few hundred civilians thought it would be a splended idea to camp out near the hills close to where the battle would take place and watch the Defense Force destroy the monster of the week as if it was a movie.

Two Japanese schoolgirls were not amused.

"What are you people doing!" Hikari shouted, earning the attention of a few onlookers.

"What do you mean...you people?" An apparently offended black american immigrant asked.

"She's not talking about your race, she's talking about the fact that all of you are sitting here in a district that's about to become a thermal nuclear warzone when the fighting is about to start after being told to evacuate." Hitomi explained before her young friend was punched. Some Americans could be a bit offended by unclear phrases.

"Oh...sorry." The strangely Australian sounding black man apologized, "But to answer your question, there's no point in running."

"Why's that?"

"Cause if Mecha Lord gets creamed then this city might as well put itself on a silver platter and call it quits." As pessimistic as the man sounded, Hitomi actually saw some truth in the man's words.

"But-"

"I'll take it from here Hitomi." A voice called out from behind and above the girls. They turned to see that it came from the mechanical raptor armed with more guns than most armies could afford, "Alright! Clear out!"

"Like you'd really-" The smug snake in the back was cut off when Leena fired her gatling gun at him and formed a perfect square of bullet holes around him without scratching is pretty face.

"Wanna test me?" Leena asked before the man promptly started telling his friends that they should leave, "Didn't think so."

"Is that a...mechanical raptor with guns?" Hikari asked, though it was more to clarify to herself that she was actually seeing what she was seeing.

"Yep! My demolishing Gunsniper! Ain't she a beauty?" Leena asked very sweetly.

"I wouldn't say-" Hitomi acted quickly to correct her words before Leena fired the large cannon currently aimed at Hitomi, "It's the prettiest piece of work I've ever seen!"

"Thought you'd like it." Leena beamed before everyone's attention was turned to the massive dragon that flew into the air before flying back down onto the mountain range just barely out of sight of the naked eye, "Is that a dragon?"

"Oh now they run." Hitomi mumbled as they denizens started fleeing as fast as they could now they knew exactly what was about to try and destroy them. Except for two people who she recognized, "Yoko? Nia?"

"Our fearless leader wanted a front row seat so he dragged us out here." Yoko explained as Deathwing's roar caused her massive tracts of land to jiggle with the angry vibrations, prompting a few fleeing males to attempt a peek. A knockout thanks to Hitomi and another "warning" shot from Leena discouraged any other attempts.

* * *

**Border Port of District 7**

"Bit! We need to know how to hurt this guy!" Simon yelled over the intercomm, Mecha Lord had just barely managed to avoid the concentrated molten volcanic blasts that Deathwing kept firing in the machine's direction and with damage to the surrounding area ever increasing, Mecha Lord found it harder and harder to avoid damage without risking casualties among the still-evacuating pilots of the disabled Defense Force units.

"Then hold still so the analysis will go faster!" Bit yelled back, Mecha Lord had the tip of it's head singed by another blast that it had to cartwheel over and landed on the recently scorched earth.

"And let that bastard melt the flesh from our arms?" Shinji didn't sound too thrilled about getting hit. Come to think of it, Simon realized that Shinji never liked getting hit in combat and reacted panickly whenever Eva or Mecha Lord was damaged.

"Only cowards fear the inevitability of death!" Van rebuked when Mecha Lord brought out it's sword and used a piston slash to part a volcanic wave shot towards it. Sadly, the molten rock had also burned the edges of the sword, so that method of defense wouldn't likely be used as often in this fight.

"Then please! Feel free to eject and tell me how being burned alive feels!"

"Like you'd know!"

"I've felt enough to have a better guess than you!"

"Everyone shut up!" At Simon's impulse, Mecha Lord's right arm spun rapidly to form a large drill which it launched at Deathwing. The Drill impacted the dragon's underbelly and sent back with enough force to crash it into the mountain range they were fighting within reach of, "Now can you lock on?"

"Yep! Thanks Simon!" Bit sounded just as relieved as Simon for Van and Shinji to stop arguing. Which soon faded when Deathwing destroyed a fragment of the mountain range with it's roar.

"Damn..it doesn't look like that last attack did much." Roger observed, "But what is that burning energy in it's skin?"

"Enemy analysis complete!" Bit exclaimed, "Damn! It's like this thing is one big mass of energy underneath dragon scales and armor!"

"Look at it's forehead." At Simon's words, the crew zoomed in on Deathwing's skull to notice something white and shiny portruding from the scales, "Looks like it has something stuck in it."

"Oh! So if we pull it out, he'll get better and go away-" Bit was cut off when the white portruding object evaporated from a massive burst of the Dragon's energy, "Nevermind...it was just burned up by the heat in it's body..."

"Enough talk!" At Shinji's impulse, Mecha Lord expanded out it's right arm to form a twin barrels along the sides that fired a barrage of energy bullets into the creature's skull and underbelly. It wasn't very effective. "Did the heat of it's body evaporate my energy bullet?"

"Apparently, ruthless brutality isn't gonna do us much good in this fight." Roger lightly admonished as the dragon looked ready to charge another attack, "So...let's change tactics, shall we?"

"What are you doing?"

"Negotiating." Roger answered to everyone's cringing horror, "Is this Neltharion?"

**"Yes."**

"I'd like to ask a favor of you."

**"Speak."**

"As you can see, we are in humanoid robotic form and you are a dragon."

**"And?"**

"Is there a way for you to shapeshift so that this fight is a bit more even?" None of the other pilots could actually believe what Roger had just said, "That way when you kill us, no one will think that you cheated and undermine the power you truly have."

"This is never gonna work..." Bit whined as the heat around the dragon grew into an enshrouding cloak that none of Mecha Lord's sensors to pierce through.

**"Very well..." **When the cloak cleared, the dragon was gone. Replaced by a humanoid creature about the same height as Mecha Lord with an exoskeleton very similar to the dragon that originally stood in it's place,** "Will this suffice?"**

"I can't believe that worked! Now we actually stand a chance!" Bit's exclamation was cut off when the humanoid Deathwing grabbed a glaive from out of the heat that rose from the ground around and swung the polearm down and behind him. Creating a large gash in the ground extending into and beyond the mountain range, "You've gotta fuc-" Deathwing wasted no time, in exchange for decreased size, the creature had become immensely fast, bringing it's blade down on Mecha Lord's shoulder before the pilots knew that Deathwing was even there.

"It's burning into the armor!" Bit reported, though he was pretty much stating the obvious. Mecha Lord drew out it's sword and thrust to stab the monstrosity, only to have it's blade snapped off from hitting Deathwing's obviously improved armor.

Deathwing raked it's glaive across Mecha Lord's chest, leaving a burning scratch across it's armor and fired an immense beam of heat and energy from it's mouth that shot Mecha Lord across the landscape and leaving a heated trail in it's wake.

"This is the last time we ever let you negotiate!" Van yelled at Roger over the comm.

"Sometimes negotiations don't go as planned alright?" Even as he said this, Roger quietly agreed that convincing the already powerful opponent to condense it's size and energy wasn't a good idea.

"Taking structural damage!" True to Bit's warning, the remaining heat from Deathwing's attack had started to condense and burn into Mecha Lord's joints. Warning lights flared through the cockpits as the damage worsened while Shinji screamed his heart out.

"Everyone! Emergency Separation!" Roger ordered as he punched a glass protected button that initiated the emergency separation. From it's joints and crevices, a blue substance shot out and formed into an orb of blue liquid that swirled around Mecha Lord. A moment later, the orb vanished to reveal the mostly undamaged mecha that had originally formed into Mecha Lord.

"What was that?" Bit asked in remnant shock.

"Neutron-Plutonium," Shinji answered, "The same substance that powers our sychronization."

"That's what we've been using?" Bit's voice now shifted from shock to surprise, "Sure it's essentially the child-safe version of nuclear energy but I didn't think Kaiba would be desperate enough to use this stuff."

"So why is it so-"

"It's known for producing a wide-range of side-effects."

"Like what?" Van asked.

"I don't know, it's supposed to depend on what it's used for." Bit elaborated, "Like guys in metal shops being found with synthetic metal laced over their muscles, patients who used it to recover from aids becoming super immune to any disease, and...plants becoming highly concentrated energy sources."

"That's kind of cool." Simon spoke up, momentarily fascinated by energy that could give you super powers as a side-effect.

"Too bad we might not live to see what our side-effects would've been." Bit lamented.

"Why's that-" Van was cut off when they noticed Deathwing charging a large amount of heat in it's mouth, "This is gonna suck." The heat fired out of dragon's jaws and expanded out into a ray raw chaos that engulfed the team.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Okay...this is going a lot worse than I thought it would." Again, Kaiba's statement couldn't understate the situation the command crew observed anymore unless he had a bat credit card.

"Sir! At this rate, they won't be able to form into Mecha Lord again!" The bridge bunny who Seto was sure had a crush on his little brother yelled frantically.

"Seto! Send out the jet!" Optimus said from inside his jar. Everyone had been so panicked they almost forgot that he was there.

"But Optimus! The Jet isn't ready for something like this!" Mokuba argued, besides Seto really didn't feeling deploying it because it cost more money than most of the Defense Force combined.

"Deathwing is a force beyond any you can imagine...if it is allowed to win then nothing will stop it from destroying this world." Kaiba really hated Optimus' lectures simply because of his tone. It didn't leave any room whatsoever to be argued with. "Not to mention that you and your company will die along with it. Not deploying the jet would be a grave...mistake."

"Fine. Mokuba, you have the helm." Seto got out of his chair and left the center to deploy the jet. Whether or not he'd care if Mokuba sat in his older brother's chair once Seto was gone would've been anyone's guess today.

* * *

**Scorched Land that used to be the Angel Groove Port**

"Status report..." Roger called out, though he could tell that no one was in a tip-top shape after what they just went through, "Of course."

"IT BURNS!" Shinji's scream filled the comms, sure this was a traumatizing situation, but it really sounded like the poor boy was in pain.

"What's his problem?" Bit asked out and then commed Van when he didn't immediately respond, "You alright Van?"

"My veins...feel like they're on fire..." a strained king of Fanelia answered, "WHAT DO YOU THINK!" Everyone turned silent when they remembered the humanoid dragon walking towards them. The heat swirled around him with each step, the air grew heavy with the hatred that was Deathwing, Destroyer of Worlds.

In challenge to this coming destroyer, Eva stood on it's feet, pulled a knife from it's shoulder and threw the knife at the incoming target.

**"My eye! WHO THREW THAT?" **Deathwing roared as it failed to pull the knife from it's left eye.**  
**

"Feel the burn, mother-" Shinji was cut off when Deathwing appeared above it and stomped the Evangelion into the ground before slashing it's glaive into the Eva's eye.

**"How does it feel, mortal? Taste my pain!" **Shinji cried as Deathwing wiped it's molten blood from it's wounded socket and grabbed the Eva's head with the head.**  
**

"What the hell do you know about pain?" Shinji breathed back, Eva now looked horribly burnt from Deathwing's burning attack but it still tried to stand, only to fall onto it's back before Deathwing, who looked noticably angry.

**"What is this nonsense about the meaning of pain? You weep that I know nothing of pain because you lie broken and beaten upon the field of battle, unable to accept that you lost because of my superior might. Therefore you cry as a philosopher and plead foul-play!"**

"This pain I feel is nothing compared to what I've felt my entire life!" **  
**

**"NO! No! No! No! No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO NO!" **With each no, Deathwing stabbed it's glaive into Evangelion's torso, splashing up what looked like blood with every thrust. It then grew out two massive flaming wings that grabbed the Eva and tossed it into the air,** "THESE ARE THE COMPLAINTS AND BOASTS OF THE DEFEATED!" **Deathwing cried as it impaled the glaive through the Eva's upper chest,** "ACCEPT YOUR DEFEAT MORTAL! ACCEPT THE CERTAINTY THAT FATE HAS RULED AGAINST YOU, ACCEPT THAT THERE IS NO HOPE TO ESCAPE THE FATE THAT LIES FOR YOU THIS DAY!" **As it spoke, it pinned Eva to the ground and proceeded to use it's free arm to rip armor and flesh from the purple bio-mecha.

**"BUT DO NOT DESPAIR, I SHALL NOT KILL YOU YET MORTAL. I SHALL RAVAGE THE GROUND UPON WHICH THESE CITIES ARE BUILT AND DELIGHT IN THE WIMPERS AND SCREAMS OF EVERY LAST MAIDEN AS I MERCILESSLY DEFILE THEM! YOUR BABES I SHALL DEVOUR AS MY FEAST! YOUR WIDOWS SHALL MOURN THE DUSTED REMAINS I LEAVE IN MY WAKE! ONLY AFTER I HAVE BURNED EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR, ONLY AFTER ALL YOU FOUGHT TO DEFEND IS DEVOURED BY MY POWER, ONLY AFTER YOU ARE LEFT WITHOUT A SINGLE BONE IN YOUR BODY SHALL I GRANT YOU A DEATH FITTING FOR A COWARD SUCH AS YOU!"** Unsatisfied, the Dragonic humanoid grabbed the ragged Eva, holding it by it's head and legs and savagely bit down on the Eva even as the disgusting sound of breaking bone and melting metal filled the air until it lifted up it's head, breaking the Eva's spine like some cruel predator.

"Leave him alone!" Lagann charged at the Humanoid, it's hands as drills and launched into Deathwing's head like a spiral torpedo. The Dragon roared in pain as it dropped the broken Evangelion and caught by surprise, was forced onto it's back as Simon willed Lagann into a mad frenzy of drilled punches.

Until he realized the drills were broken and Deathwing's injuries were healing.

**"I recognize your scent. You are a rat of the earth." **The dragon spoke as it grabbed the small gunman and slammed it into the ground,** "What reason have you to crawl from the ground into which you were driven? Perhaps you wished to flee the crushed remains of your parents?"** Simon's eyes widened as memories of his parent's screams as they were crushed in that avalanche unwillingly came to his mind. So paralyzing was that memory that he didn't notice when Deathwing slashed it's glave into Lagann's chest**.**

** "I speak close to the truth? Pathetic! What did you hope to find here you little ratling of the earth? Perhaps you wished to pierce the sky above your maze? PATHETIC!" **Deathwing slammed it's free hand into the small gunman, creating a crack as despair began to creep into Simon's mind despite his attempts to stay defiant,** "Where is your brave spirit now rat? Where was the mighty power that drove you when you stood upon the shoulders of another? It was never there...IT WAS NAUGHT BUT THE FALSE CONFIDENCE OF A BOY!" **With those last words, Deathwing pulled it's glaive out and stabbed through Lagann's cockpit, shattering the glass and exposing him to the heated gaze of Deathwing's humanoid form.**  
**

"We...we can't do this on our own..." Simon meanwhile had tucked his knees up to his chest. He felt so weak right then, the power he'd given Mecha Lord and the other's had failed to win and now they were all going to die horribly because of him. "It's too powerful...it's too-" Simon was cut from his sinking despair when a red blur kicked Deathwing aside and sent him flying across the ground.

"Simon! Don't give up!" Simon's spirits rose when he heard that voice, the voice that could only come from the pilot of the red gunman with sunglasses standing between the battered team and further angered Deathwing, "Told ya you weren't gonna leave the mighty Kamina out of the action!"

"Bro!" Now out of his gutter, Lagann stood up and cheered on the arrival of his comrade.

**"More mortals to defy me?" **Deathwing boomed,** "Stand aside rat of the earth! Return to your mine and shut yourself from the sun and I just might let you and the rest of your clan live."**

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM!" Kamina roared at the dragon, "RAT? ANTS? THOSE ARE THE CLAIMS OF BITCHES ABOUT TO BE CRUSHED UNDER MY FEET!" Gurren didn't shift from it's stance as Deathwing stormed over to the gunman while Kamina spoke, "Ever since I was a kid I've faced dragons like you! Cowardly mine shift guards that bully you to hide their own cowardice, Peers so trapped in their own hopelessness that they can't bare to see you not fall too, American rich-slobs who thought they could keep us under, and beastmen who tried to step on us like the ants we were."

"Guess what happened to them? This sword in my hands, it used to belong to a guard who'd throw me in the brig just cause I annoyed him! These glasses, they were knives carved into my body before I pulled em out and made them into sunglasses! The Americans? They either worship my awesomeness or flee at the very mention of my name! The beastmen? Who do you think I stole these gunmen from?" Gurren didn't move when the dragon roared a current that striped the ground around where Gurren stood, "So bring on your fire, it ain't got shit on mine! Bring on your hate, I'm man enough to take it! COME AT ME WITH YOUR RAGE AND I'LL KICK IT TO THE GROUND WITH MY SPIRIT! Cause I'm Kamina of the Gurren Brigade...DAI-GURREN BRIGADE!"

Somewhere in the world, a volcano went off at that very moment.

"Damn...he's kind of badass." Bit said over the comm.

"If only he were Fanelian." Van lamented.

"Bold..." Was all Roger could admit as Gurren threw it's sunglasses at the dragon. They split into two as they neared there target and before the drake could react, latched into his wings and penned him against the mountain. Gurren then sneezed and blew out the air to punch the dragon further into the mountain as it roared in fury. The sunglasses formed into one and flew onto Gurren's face as the mountain exploded from Kamina's attack...

And Deathwing's rage.

**"TINY! TINY. TINY. TINY. TINY LITTLE ANT!" **Deathwing roared as it flew out of the mountain and struck the ground where Gurren was originally standing, **"Entire empires have crumbled before my very breath, you dare mock me with the thought that your sneeze could defeat me!"**

"No...I just had to sneeze." Kamina admitted, causing everyone to facepalm, "Well...time to advance...in the opposite direction!" With that Gurren turned on it's heel and started running away from the dragon.**  
**

**"Giving up Mortal?"**

"To be honest, I'd be an idiot to keep taking you on." Kamina admitted to himself, "But that's why I have Simon!"

**"How dare you turn your back on-" **The sound of gunfire sung through the air and was soon followed by Deathwing as he rocked the area with a howl of pain after said shot fired the knife stuck in his eye out through the back of his skull,** "WHO DARES TO INJURE THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS?"**

* * *

**Outskirts of District 7**

"Name's Yoko and I'm the only one who dominates Kamina!" Yoko answered as she pulled the trigger and fired another bullet from the rifle improvised between her and Leena by taking the barrels from the weapons on Leena's gunsniper and connecting them into a longer shaft latched onto Yoko's sniper rifle. Judging from the roar of pain from faraway, she'd made another direct hit, "Thanks for the spiral bullets Nia." When Yoko first put the bullets in, they are no larger than the average round of her normal epic ammo, but somehow become bigger by the time they leave the improvished rifle's barrel.

"I don't really know how I did it." Nia admitted to the surprise of the others, "Miss Horaki? Are you alright?" Hikari's face was glued to the datapad keeping track of the pilots and looked worried.

"Yoko! Aim further up! Wind should shift down in a few seconds!" As much as Leena was unsure of Hitomi's supposed "psychic abilities" she was impressed when Yoko corrected to follow the japanese schoolgirl's advice and scored another hit in the creature's leg.

"Oh don't worry about the guys, they do this kind of thing all the time." Leena assured the younger japanese schoolgirl, but saw that something else was wrong. Namely, the status of Unit 01 on the datapad Bit scavenged from one of his earlier battles, "Is there a reason to be worried about the intense burns all over Eva?"

* * *

**Back to the Action!**

"Master Roger." While Deathwing became further injured and enraged by the unknown sniper, Roger opened his comm to his butler back home, "You don't look very good right now."

"Yes I know, I'll be late for dinner tonight." Roger had a feeling that he wouldn't make it to dinner at all for some reason.

"We can perfectly see that Master Roger." Norman observed, "Dorothy just wanted to tell you to be efficient, that is all."

"I'll do my best."

"If you'll excuse, there appears to be someone at the door." With that Norman walked from the comm and Roger closed the channel.

"Simon!" Kamina called as Gurren neared where Lagann had hobbled back to the others.

"Right Bro!" Without another word, the rejuvenated Simon slammed his core necklace into his console and Lagann leapt into the air forming a drill on it's underside. Lagann then slammed into the top of Gurren as the brothers, Kamina and Simon spoke,

""If there's a wall in our way, we smash it down! If there isn't a path, we carve it out ourselves! The magma of our souls burns with a mighty flame! Super Ultra Combining, Gurren Lagann! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!" Gurren Lagann complete, it pumped it's arms allowing the awesome of it's presence to leak into the area and cause another volcano to explode somewhere in the world.

**"What is this? CEASE YOUR POINTLESS RESISTANCE-" **Deathwing was cut off when a yellow spinning blur flew out of the air and struck him in the back at the same time that he was shot again and a chain thrown from Big-O caused him to lose his balance.**  
**

"Sorry I'm late, last time I take directions from t-rex!" The yellow star-shaped gunman shouted as it stomped it's foot on Deathwing's face and jumped to Gurren Lagann's side.

"Who invited you Kittan?" Kamina asked as Gurren Lagann slid it's left arm through a sling on King Kittan's back and lifted the now stiff gunman to deflect a blast of flame as if it were a shield

"Screw you Kamina! I'm here to kick ass and stomp on your balls!" Kittan barked at Kamina as Gurren Lagann charged through the flames and bashed Deathwing's head into the ground. "But that's right...you don't have any!"

"Which one of us is banging Yoko again?" Kamina asked as Deathwing rose ready to strike but was caught off guard by another bullet through it's still wounded eye. Gurren Lagann took advantage and slammed King Kittan into the side of the Dragon's neck.

"I'm really not hearing this am I?" Simon couldn't believe that these two would pick now to argue over Yoko. Kittan doesn't to get that there is no contest against Kamina, that's a fact of life.

**"DO NOT IGNORE THE WRATH OF-"**

"Oh shut up!" All three pilots yelled as they kneed Deathwing in the stomach and Gurren Lagann switched King Kittan to the right arm to deliver a special move that was thought up on the fly.**  
**

"King Kittan!" Kittan cried out as his gunman formed along Gurren Lagann's arm before expanding out into a yellow drill, "SPIRALLL DRILLL SPECIALL!" Again distracted by whoever the hell was shooting it, Deathwing was left unable to counter the yellow drill shaped missile thrown at it, "SHIT! I LOVE SPIRAL POWER!" The King Kittan Drill impacted into Deathwing's draconic chest and threw it across the charred landscape before an explosion encompassed both.

**"I WILL LEAVE NOTHING OF YOU IN MY WAKE!" **The fires of the explosion collapsed in on itself as King Kittan was thrown into the distance with Kittan yelling words that Simon felt were above his age rating.**  
**

"Everyone!" Simon called through the comm, "We're gonna need all the fire power we can get!" Not that he doubted him and his bro, but Simon wasn't going to take a chance with the still angry dragon.

"Combine?" Roger knew that his partner in crime was at his limit, but he knew that he'd rise to finish the job, "Big O...Showtime!"

"Up for it Liger?" Despite it's broken jaw, Liger Zero dared not resist giving off a roar and stood on it's terribly damaged legs.

"I'm a King, that I should die while Fanelia stands defies all convention!" Escaflowne picked up it's sword and stabbed into the scorched ground to allow it to rise to it's feet.

"I...mustn't...run...away!" Unit 01's helmet broke open when it revealed it's jaws and roared into the air.

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

Big-O blew out it's pistons as its legs were brought into it's body to form a chest-piece and arms for Eva to fit on.

Liger Zero roared as it combined it's legs together and became a set of legs for Eva to leap into and connect with and allowed Jager's boosters to form into barrels facing forward along the legs.

Escaflowne turned into a draconic shape that wrapped around Eva's waist and melded into the Unit to form into upper legs and lower torso armor complete with a draconic tail.

Gurren Lagann leapt up and landed on the Eva to form flame detailed shoulder plates on Eva's arms and an armor piece that grew down over Eva's exposed back and upper chest. A mass of red spiral energy covered over Eva's head and faded into a red helmet that bore a crescant shaped emblem on the front of the helm that lightly connected with the original horn of Eva.

"Mecha Breaker Lord. Activate!" Born from the flames of manliness, a volcano exploded behind it as the Mecha roared to life and flipped off the Massive Dragonic humanoid standing very angry before it.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center Hanger**

"Oh look, they got reinforcements." Seto said to himself as he approached the jet he did not want to deploy, "Guess they won't need me-"

"Seto..." Kaiba turned to see Mokuba on the overscreen, surrounding by a crowd of young children taking shelter in the center, "All these kids want to see your jet."

"Damn my well-hidden affection for orphened children." Kaiba muttered as he climbed into the prepared jet and tinkered with the controls.

"Blue eyes white...Jet..." The announcer was doing a horrible job at keeping his snickering to himself, "You're cleared for...launch...I'm sorry it just looks so stupid!" Finally the announcer just lost it and started laughing as he collapsed in his seat while most of the communication's team followed suit.

"Ungrateful prick." Seto made a note to himself to horrible deduct that man's salary as the hanger doors opened and Seto Kaiba launched into the skies of Angel Groove.

* * *

**Back to the Battle.**

"Not to down a bailout but how are we in the same cockpit-"

"Awesomeness!"

"Okay Kamina." Bit made a note himself never to question some things in life as he focused in his seat in the somehow six man cockpit of Mecha Breaker Lord. Simon sat at the head of the cockpit with Bit and Van flanking his seat, Roger was just below and behind him, Kamina below and in front of him and Shinji behind him.

Finally relieved of the persistant gunfire of it's unseen tormentor, Deathwing roared as it charged for Mecha Breaker Lord, expecting an easy victory.

Right...

Breaker Lord grabbed the Dragon's shaft and after gaining a firm grip, snapped the shaft into pieces that incerated with blue fire, depriving Deathwing of it's lance. It then shot out a spinning piston before slamming drill shaped punch into Deathwing's head and fired the piston to send the humanoid dragon across the scorched area.

**"You fight well for mortals." **Deathwing's voice vibrated through the cockpit, sending chills down the spines of the pilots,** "But in the end, your strength is no match for mine!"**

"Does this guy ever shut up?" Kamina asked as Breaker Lord leapt over to the confident Draconic humanoid and delivered a spinning thruster powered drill kick that shattered the brace over Deathwing's lower jaw and sent him flying again.

"Actually having him talk makes him seem a lot less intimidating." Van noted as Breaker Lord drew out it's sword and allowed a blue energy seeping out of Breaker Lord's wrist to surge through the blade and extend it into a long white flashing sword which Breaker Lord swiped across Deathwing, leaving a large gash in it's chest that leaked of energy.

"Then again, he's still pretty creepy from being able to talk directly to our minds." Bit stated as Breaker Lord extended out it's left to form out a massive cannon with an energy core in the center of the gun that absorbed energy from the surrounding area. Deathwing charged another attack of it's own and unleashed a large wave of heat with Breaker Lord as it's target. Just before the wave hit it's mark, Breaker Lord fired a large blue beam from it's gun that clashed with Deathwing's heat wave and slowly edge the beam-o-war into it's favor as the surrounding area suffered all the more.

"How did we do that?" Van asked while Bit just starting flexing his hand as if he thought it wasn't there.

"Your friends are pretty chatty, Simon." Kamina observed as Bit and Van continued their discussion as Breaker Lord charged to close the distance between it and the damaged Deathwing and kicked him into the air.

"Don't look at me, bro." Simon admitted, "Some people are more comfortable with talking."

"Fair enough..." Kamina shrugged his shoulders as Breaker Lord allowed Deathwing to land it's head on Breaker's knee. As the dragon howled in pain, Breaker Lord brought up it's other leg to deliver a strike laser clawed kick that seared into the side of the Draconic humanoid's face, "HAD ENOUGH, BITCHWING?"

**"IT'S...DEATHWING!" **The Dragon cried as it roared and fired two fireballs from it's hands.**  
**

"He really needs some clear-eye." Simon thought, no longer at all intimidated by this dragon in human form as Breaker Lord punched through the fireballs and threw them back at Deathwing with a spin. "Then he wouldn't be as angry." The Draconic Humanoid barely had time to dodge the first fireball before the other one pierced through his chest, causing it to kneel as it held it's wound.

**"ALRIGHT MORTAL! LET'S HAVE YOU TRAPPED UNDERGROUND RECUPERATING FROM A DEVASTATING ANCIENT WAR THAT YOU NARROWLY LOST AND THEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER, SOME FOOL DECIDES TO THROW A LANCE INTO YOUR STILL-HEALING SKULL! WALK IN MY SHOES AND THEN TELL ME IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE DESTROYING EVERY LITTLE MORTAL THAT CROSSES YOUR PATH!"**

"Okay...they're not that red-"

**"OR I CAN JUST DO THIS!" **Deathwing wrenched into it's wound and pulled out a massive claymore and swung it at Breaker Lord.**  
**

"Doesn't this guy have a volume control on his voice?" Kamina calmly asked when Breaker Lord caught the claymore in it's teeth, "Simon."

"Right, sit back everyone!" Breaker Lord crunched down on the blade and spat the piece at Deathwing as it kicked to shatter the sword. The shard hit Deathwing squarely in his already wounded eye and caused him to howl in immense pain.

"Finishing Move!" Breaker grabbed the sunglasses hanging under it's neck and threw the shades at Deathwing. The shades then split apart and grew large in order to wedge Deathwing between them and entrap him. Breaker Lord then lifted it's arms and formed it's ultimate attack as the badass leader of the Dai-Gurren shouted it's name, "Giga...DRRRIIIIILLLLLL...BBBRRREEAAAAAKKEEERRRR**!**" The boosters on it's legs flaring, Breaker lord launched as if it were a rocket, the drill sprilling before like a warhead ready to destroy it's target. Deathwing fired another blast to ward off the incoming drill, but the heat wave practically dissipated before the incoming drill. Leaving Deathwing nothing more to do but scream as the drill slammed into his body.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for Breaker Lord to pierce through the Draconic hide and unsummoned it's drill as it landed behind the hole it had created in it's target. Explosions enveloped the dragon as the shades flew back to their place on Breaker Lord before explosions eveloped more explosions, a sign that their enemy had been defeated.

Today was an exception.

**"NO!..." **Deathwing roared, through badly wounded and bleeding molten lava for blood, Deathwing was far from fallen,** "I am not...FINISHED MORTALS!"**

"This guy just won't die." Shinji breathed before Breaker Lord ran over to the fatigued Deathwing and kicked it a few hundred feet away. Breaker Lord then pulled a pair of lances from it's back that it threw into Deathwing's neck and crotch.

"Really Shinji? He's already dying." Roger signed, it was almost sad to see this proud Dragon King gasp for air and roar, but couldn't because there was a lance in his windpipe.

"There's a difference between dying and dead you know." Shinji shot back as if in pain, "Sides...what's the worse he can do? Is the Meaning of pain nonsense now bitch." Breaker Lord twisted the lance penetrating Deathwing's crotch and wrenched it out as the dragon tried to cry out, "It's easy for the guys on top to look down and say that us victims just whine and bitch...It's easy to not think about how it would feel to be in our shoes, what it would be like to not be able to control your own fate. That's what power does, power makes you complacent, makes you comfortable, makes you less able to move when you've gotta run. Now look at you, brought down by the mortals you called rats, weaklings, and ants that you had no qualms in crushing. Shall I now stop and listen to your complaints of foul play?"

"Eh...guys...we might want to-"

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No." Shinji's tone did not change as he thrust the lance back into Deathwing's crotch again and again after each no, causing Bit's words to die in his mouth. "They would just be the complaints of the defeated." Again, Shinji's voice was perfectly calm as he wrenched the lance out of Deathwing's crotch and then thrust the land through the dragon's crotch with a piston powered effort. "Because you're afraid of those beneath you." Breaker used the lance embedded through Deathwing's throat to pull the dragon along the shaft of the other lance and swiftly wrenched it's lower jaw from it's head, "Because you feed from our pain, you need our backs to build your power on." Breaker then grabbed Deathwing's other arm and twisted it until every single bone was out of place before wrenching it to where it split apart while using it's other hand to grip into the draconic human and wrench out any metal or molten flesh it could find and throw it onto the landscape, igniting the already scorched area with short-lived wild fires. "Because when that day comes when we decide to stand on our feet and destroy the heavens that torment us, you will not be ready for it. Your cornerstones need us to stay bowed and obedient because when we stand, you fall." Breaker took hold of the lances and pulled to rip Deathwing in half and threw the two halves onto the ground as the wildfires died out.

"Just as I thought I wouldn't have nightmares." Simon said as the scene he'd witnessed played unwillingly through his mind again and again. Then the scene turned into a galaxy sized version of Gurren Lagann being tore apart by a big black monster that didn't like spiral energy or something...Simon was about battle out.

"Does he do this all the time?" Everyone silently nodded to answer Kamina's question, not that he was scared and the guy wouldn't be getting up after that. But Kamina felt a lot of pent of aggression get released from those attacks.

"Still clinging to the illusion of being able to win?" Shinji said as Breaker walked towards where Deathwing's upper half had managed to crawl, "It's over."

"Please don't tempt-" Roger was cut off when Breaker was forced to leap back to avoid the white lance that instead pierced Deathwing in his chest, "Now for imagery to demonstrate my point." The entire ground shook as a white light enveloped the broken dragon that was soon followed by a bellow of black flames.

**"I tell you the truth. No mortal has ever damaged me as you have." **Deathwing's voice boomed as the light turned to smoke and fire and a firmly draconic face poked through the flames,** "But while you shall rot with the wind and die or burn from the fires of mortality, my power shall never wan...never shall I falter!" **Deathwing's roar sent a tremor through the ground and air as the flaps of it's wings blew away the smoke to reveal its form. Now in it's true draconic form, Deathwing was covered with less metal but the scales gave off a sinister glare as it stormed towards Breaker Lord.**  
**

"Just for future reference Shinji, this is why you don't brutalize the enemy!" Bit admonished, "Because when they find a way to get up, they won't be happy!"

"Sometimes I really hate you all." Roger admitted as Deathwing charged up a large heated blast in it's restored and enlarged mouth. Only for a large blast of white energy to sear into it's skull and send skidding to the side.**  
**

* * *

**Cockpit of someone who isn't Seto Kaiba**

"Really? I really have to save all of you?" Kaiba really wasn't in a good mood today, he'd just arrived and already he had to fire a neutron blast to save those idiots. Didn't he blackmail them to save him? "Fine! Clear a space for Seto Kaiba!"

"Override, acknowledged." Kaiba heard the AI state as he neared the increasingly chaotic battle, "Dragon Mode Synchronization initiated." Kaiba just sat back while his jet landed on Mecha Lord's upper back and latched onto the Mecha's shoulders. The Jet then formed into an upper back that slightly overhung Escaflowne and produced a pair of draconic wings from the shoulder blades and what appeared to some as draconic coatails that slid down from the back and over the legs.

"White Dragon Mecha Breaker Lord. Activate." The roar of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon sounded as the ground exploded around White Dragon Mecha Breaker Lord.

* * *

**Mecha Breake...I mean White Dragon Mecha Breaker Lord's Cockpit**

"Who are you?" Bit asked to pilot who'd just somehow overridden the safety features and docked with Mecha Breaker Lord while forming a new battle mode and then slid into a seat behind Shinji like this was just part of the job.

"Hello Dwebs." The pilot dressed in piloting gear modeled after a Blues White Dragon but to the pilot's knowledge wasn't Seto Kaiba, "Since you decided to not perform as well as I expect, I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"I'm in command of the Command Center-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Not-Seto Kaiba said before closing the channel, "So what's the plan?"

"Same plan we always have." Roger answered though the rest of the team had the same thought in mind, "Show em that he picked the wrong city!"

**"MORTALS!" **Deathwing roared, further enraged due to Breaker Lord's draconic appearance,** "YOU DARE CONFRONT ME WITH A VISAGE THAT MOCKS MY RACE? YOU MUST DIE!"**

"Okay, let me set the record straight for you..." Not-Kaiba motioned the pilots for the dragon's name, to which some facepalmed.

"Deathwing." Roger answered politely.

"Yeah! What he said!" Not-Kaiba yelled, "Around here, there's only one dragon that I allow to roam the skies. In fact, you kind of look like a certain dragon belonging to a furry who I make my bitch every few weeks. You're a Red-eyes black dragon! Anyone who remotely knows shit about card games knows that the red eyes black dragon is always screwed over by the blue eyes white dragon! And guess which one of us is white and has blue eyes?" Deathwing just roared and started glowing in dangerous colors, "Let's just kill this thing before he causes anymore damage..."

"Final Finishing Move!" Dragon Mecha Lord held up it's arm, blue energy gathered around it as Deathwing charged a massive chaotic blast in his mouth, "White...Neutron...GIGA…DRIILLLLL…BREEEAAAAKEEEERRRRRR!" Just as Breaker had, Dragon Breaker Lord launched itself like a warhead at the massive dragon. Only this massive drill fired a wave of white energy that canceled out and dissipated Deathwing's attack before Dragon Breaker Lord flew through the dragon and landed on the other side after dissipating it's drill. Deathwing at first stood unmoving, as if it's body was taking time to compute what had just happened, until explosion after explosion encompassed the drake.

This time, it was dead.

* * *

**Outskirts of Angel Groove**

"Show offs." Yoko stated when the shockwave of the explosion threw everyone but her and Nia off their feet...including Leena's gunsniper.

"Shit! I felt that from my cockpit!" Leena cried out as the vibrations of Deathwing's demise rocked the ground of Angel Groove.

"I'm never gonna get used to this stuff." Hitomi lamented as she helped herself up after the shockwave passed.

"It's really pretty." At first Hikari had to pause and relieze what the little girl next to her just said. But on a further look and a glance that told her Shinji's condition wouldn't worsen, she just smiled and nodded.

"Yes it is Nia...yes it is." Hikari just beamed at the agreement and watched the amazing the explosions that continued on for at least an hour.

Clearly Deathwing had had too much Taco Bell.

* * *

**An hour later...the Aftermath of the battle**

"Looks like our attack tore open it's body." Seto Kaiba, who appeared as soon as the mysterious pilot of that blue eyes white jet dissappeered noted as he, Roger, Van, Simon and Bit observed what Kaiba had found in the remains of the dragon that they had just waited an hour to stop exploding after they caused it to explode,"Without it's own armor to keep it in check, Deathwing's energy imploded on itself and condensed down into this shiny orb." The orb caused everyone to oh and awe with it's majestic beauty. It was completely black, but smooth without fault or a dent.

**"RELEASE ME MORTALS!" **Deathwing's voice boomed from the orb, shocking everyone except Kaiba, who just smirked.**  
**

"Which contains the very angry soul of our recently departed friend." Kaiba observed as they heard the growls of Deathwing inside the orb.

"It's his Eldunarí." Van explained, "Sometimes really old and intelligent dragons have these shiny orbs in their bodies that contain their consciousness after they die. That way, allies can draw on their strength and wisdom.

"So what we have here...is the stored power and consciousness of Deathwing, Destroyer of Worlds." Bit stated, the weight of every word sinking into everyone's mind, "What do we do with it?"

**"DIE!"**

"Nobody asked you!" Simon could've sworn he felt the dragon wimper when he slapped the orb, but noticed someone was missing, "Where's Shinji?"

"He's still stuck in Eva's cockpit." Sargeant Foley said when the others found where Evangelion lied on it's back after Mecha Lord's dissassembly, the sargeant and some soldiers were trying to open the cockpit with no success, "Ramirez! Get me a wielder!"

"His comm's silent." Van stepped up to the soldiers and drew his sword, "Stand aside!

"Need a hand.?" Kamina appeared at the scene with his sword already brandished, Van nodded to him and readied his sword, "One...two...three!" In perfect sync, the two slashed across the cockpit, allowing orange and red liquid to flow out of the perfectly symmetrical box they carved in the capsule halfway pulled out of Evangelion.

"Oh great, now I'll have to bye another capsule." Roger and Simon felt the urge to slap Kaiba but stopped when they saw the state of their friend after Ramirez pulled him out of the capsule.

"Someone call the Medic!" Foley cried as he grabbed the unconcious Shinji and laid him gently on the ground as everyone except Kaiba ran over to see how he was, "Hold on son." It almost pained Simon to see Shinji like this, his body was a mess of cuts, burns and blood.

The exact one's that Evangelion had recieved.

* * *

**Angel Groove Medical Ward**

The team plus a bandaged guy named Kittan from Kamina's group had all gathered in the waiting room outside of Shinji's room. It had been several hours after the battle and some weren't too steller about their victory.

Thanks to Kaiba.

_A few hours earlier_

_"Well...according to that old hag's report, Evangelion is one of those mind-synch robots that require you to concentrate to mentally control it." Kaiba explaned to the worried team as sexually dressed nurses carted Shinji into the operating room, "The higher you synch the better you control it, it also means the higher your synch, the more likely you are to feel the damage evangelion gets." A scream from Shinji only unnerved them even more, "What was Shinji's sync again?"_

_"85% while in Mecha Lord." A new employee with the nametag Odin Lowe read on a clipboard of notes.  
_

_"You sure?"_

_"Yeah you're right Seto," The employee gave the reports to Mokuba who glanced over them before looking up, "185%...damn..."_

"Good news and bad news." A nurse who emerged from Shinji's room said to the team, "Good news is, he should be fine in a little while. The exertion from the fight took a toll on him."

"Glad he'll be alright." Everyone nodded in agreement with Simon.

"Bad news is, his pain threshold was passed." The nurse finished, "He'll have to be put on medical leave." Most didn't know what Pain threshold meant, but medical leave was fair enough. It could always be worse.

"Hi..." The team turned and noticed a young japanese student who Simon recognized as Hikari standing in the hall and trying to stay composed despite her obviously frightened state, "I...heard...that-"

"I'm fine." Shinji said as he emerged from his room, looking like he didn't just almost die, "Just got spooked from having my Eva get mauled by a very angry dragon."

"Then you returned the favor." Van muttered under his breath.

"What?" Thankfully, it seemed that Hikari hadn't seen any of the reports about Mecha Lord horrifically torturing it's opponant.

"Winning." Shinji said to Hikari as he wiped away a silent tear that crept down her face.

"Cute." The team turned to see that employee from earlier suddenly standing amongst them, startling some of those present, "Sir, Mr. Kaiba requests your presence on the bridge."

"Major Ikari...it's recommended that you-"

"I'll be alright." Shinji told the nurse before walking into his room and coming out dressed in an officer's uniform that he found hanging on his bedrail, "Thanks Hikari."

"Well...I thought you'd like a change..." She said half stuttering, Simon smirked at how smooth Shinji was with the ladies, "Since you're alright, I'll just...see you later..." She practically dashed away, leaving Shinji to briefly glance after her retreating form before noticing the pirahnas in the hall.

"Guys...I thought you liked older women." Everyone except Simon gagged at the subtle implication of Shinji's playful words and tried really hard to breathe after absorbing the shock of Shinji's joke.

"What the hell does Kaiba want now?" An annoyed Van asked while the group walked through the halls.

"Maybe he'll just admonish us for the costs we ran up." Bit guessed with a shrug.

"Really? I thought no one died in that battle?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, but shockwaves from our attacks messed up power lines, caused a few blackouts, not to mention the Defense Force Units we destroyed early on."

"Lives cannot be replaced as machinery." Van stated.

"Tell it Kaiba." Roger knew enough about the man to know that lives weren't as profitable as money to him.

"Screw Kaiba," Shinji said, causing a few employees to nearly trip in shock.

"That's the spirit bro." Simon pat his new bro on the back, which caused him to flinch but didn't break his upbeat stride.

"Bro...I like that, thanks Simon...and thanks for earlier."

"You'd have done the same, Shinji...and done it better too."

"That's enough little bros! You're badasses, enjoy the victory!" Kamina said, bringing both boys in for a hug from behind and hanging on to them through some of the walk.

"Wish I'd have been there earlier." Kittan grumbled, he only heard the stories from Kamina, but that dragon would've been an opponant worthy of badasses, "But I got bad directions from a small white mechanical t-rex."

"You're just making up excuses Kittan." Kamina teased, causing the two to start wrestling over who's giga drill would be more badass or who'd have the most badass death ever.

"Man I wish I could just go straight home." Bit said while Van nodded in agreement.

"I've already missed dinner." Roger realized when the group entered the bridge followed closely by the employee from earlier carrying another stack of reports from the intelligence bureau.

"No worries, let's just get this meeting with Kaiba over with and-" Everyone could literally feel the ghosts of despair and depression saturate the air as Shinji gazed on the reason that Kaiba had called them to the bridged, "No...No...no...NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"Hello Shinji." said Gendo Ikari.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**It's Gendo!**

**I confess that I've never played World of Warcraft so I have no idea if what I've portrayed is remotely accurate. I also gave him a little influence from other dragons including Glaurang from The Silmarillion because will...he's a dragon. Isn't it given for dragons to mess with your mind while they're horribly killing you?**

**As you'll also read, I went back and added a scene or two for lolz.  
**


	6. Blackout

**World-Wide United News (WWUN) Special Report**

"Tragedy struck the European Continent when as if from some online video game, a dragon burst out of the mountains of Northern Spain and flew out eastwards. As it flew, a thick toxic coat of molten ash and fire rained down behind it in Central Europe all the way to North Korea. The Casualties are still being counted, but...let's just say that we're gonna have a pay raise soon."

"In London, the Britainian Emperor, Charles the Sixteenth, has sworn to render aid to any nation that may require assistance."

"Food and shelter will be provided...!" A live recording of Charles XVI sitting in a throne covered in puppy fur declared to the camera, "To all who bowww befooree thee might of Britainia!" He raised his proud chin and brushed his massive beard, "Yee nations who we have allowed to prosper, now you see what becomes of those who lie not under the flag of our power! For all men are not created equal-"

"Nice guy isn't he? But on the other side of the Pacific, "the dragon" was apprehended and destroyed, thanks to the efforts of Corporate President and Monopoly Meglomaniac, Seto Kaiba and his well-equipped defense force. So how does the show look from your end, Bruce?"

"Thanks for asking Karen! Cause I'm Bruce Nullen" A reporter standing on a recently charred location stated with a wide smile, "Here live in Angel Groove where behind me, residents work their hearts out to repair the damage created by their most recent attack." The camera turned out to show several hundred workers at their posts, "Indeed, this city's only been around for less than a year, but not only has enough people to make up a small country, but has been through more s%*^ than most countries ever have to think about. Let's see..."

"Three weeks ago, they fought a singing diamond almost completely resembling the one that attacked Tokyo-3." The Camera now cut to footage of a giant diamond shooting laser beams that destroyed entire city blocks, "Two weeks ago, a monster related to the one sighted in the New York "Cloverfield" incident attacked," The camera cut again to footage of a large monster swiping away at defense force gm's, "and a few days later, the f%$king Kraken burst out of the ground and caused flooding for days in several districts." The last clip featured a giant crab-like turtle lobster with tentacles using a purple mecha like a club to beat up it's teammates.

"Fortunately, damage has been minimized thanks to the efforts of the Kaiba Corp equipped Defense Force." The camera cut back to Bruce walking in front of some off-duty pilots looking through burnt playboy magazines to salvage any surviving "articles", "And here with me is one of their commanders, Shiro Armada, a native of the Colonial Federation, who moved here to no doubt escape whatever crappy lifestyle he was in."

"Excuse me?" The pilot and several others stood up and didn't bat an eye lash when a clean photo flew in the wind.

"You obviously left the colonies because they sucked, right?" The camera started shaking due to the terror it's operator now felt from the glares of the defense force pilots.

"I left because it was biologically bombed and everyone but me was horribly killed by an acidic burst." Shiro answered with a tightening fist.

"Well that's happens when you're born on the colonies, cause God doesn't love you folks up there!" Bruce told the silent commander and turned back to the camera, "Well anyway, Karen it's also nice to see that the air is-" A crowbar swung into his face silenced Bruce as several pilots crowded around him to pummel the reporter with punches and kicks, "Please! Not my-"

**We are currently experiencing technical difficulties.**

* * *

**Firing Ranch, Classified Location that...doesn't exist**

"Man I hated that guy." Toji Suzahara heard one of the pilots of the Security GM's say as they shot at targets on their shooting gallery. Toji himself handled a specially tailored assault rifle and had his targets further away to keep from intruding on the practice of the less tall mobile suits.

"Think he's bad, just wait till you hear the other guy." Another pilot from Texas called out. Hearing these Americans talk was kind of funny for Toji, almost made him forget what he was piloting...actually scratch that last bit.

"Oh great...the frenchman."

"What do you have against the French?" Another pilot asked, Toji did have to wonder. A lot of Americans didn't like French people, why?

"Face it Jon, you guys are the wimps of Europe!"

"Wimps of Europe...D-Day would've never happened if not for the French Resistance!"

"Buckle down, both of you!" The GM captain rebuked and then addressed Unit 03's pilot, "Toji! You've got a call."

"Nice." Toji knew exactly who it was too, "Patch it through." Unit 03 slung the rifle onto it's back as Toji sat back and activated the channel awaiting his call.

"Toji!" On the screen, Hikari Horaki was smiling through what Toji assumed to be a smaller communicator since her head was really close to the screen.

"Hey Class Rep!" Toji greeted, "Just wanted to check in and say how much I don't miss your bossy nagging."

"I've heard Asuka's picked up the pace for me."

"Oh Kami!" The jock slapped his hand on his face, Asuka was a sore subject for him at the moment, "Please don't bring her up right now!"

"Why?" Hikari asked until she remembered something after backing up from her screen, "Oh...I saw your facebook page-"

"Kensuke hacked into it." Toji said, not wanting to think about the truth of that matter, "That Mari girl is a really bad influence on him."

"And you weren't?"

"Oh come on!" Hikari still hadn't forgiven him for the locker room incident, "Ah...they don't have a dress code over there?" The Fourth Child only now realized that Hikari was only wearing a sweat drenched training bra with her skirt and...not only had she been working since going to Angel Groove...

Her bust size had gone up.

"No, it's just really hot." Hikari replied, "The place has been burning up ever since that fight with Deathwing."

"What? You've gotta be kidding me class rep!" He had heard that Angel Groove was affected by the rise of the "dragon", but it was a bit hard for Toji to wrap around that he had a friend directly in viewing distance.

"It's not so bad...area's cooling down now thankfully..."

"Well you've got Shinji over there! Of course things would get better!" At the mention of Shinji, Hikari's smiled faded, "Something wrong?"

"No one told you?" Toji had heard that Shinji was now in Angel Groove, but every time he asked Misato why he isn't coming back, she flips out starts shooting a picture of Nerv's commander, "Nevermind...how's testing?"

"Can't really say anything except that it's tough." Toji answered, "Or I could but...mention any classified info and a ninja in black will bust down you door, shoot you with a chain gun until it's out of ammo, and then burn the house down to leave no evidence."

"Ah...let's not test that..." Hikari had heard a story from Shinji about a high schooler who was shot for trespassing on Nerv property and then shot again until he was dead. That was enough to confirm that Nerv truly wanted to keep it's secrets. Toji was further shocked when he learned that it was true. "The hell?"

"Toji?" Unit 03's screen was losing color and phising in and out.

"Sorry Hikari!...Something's wrong with the comm-" The screen went black on his end of the comm, causing Toji inhale and pray that the blackout wasn't a sign of something bad.

* * *

**Command Center of Classified Military Testing Center in North Eastern USA...that doesn't exist  
**

"Misato..." Maya Ibuki closed down her laptop, "We've got a blackout on long-distance communications."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Colonel Misato Katsuragi kicked a chair into a table, breaking the table in the process. She had been having a bad week. She was worried as hell for Shinji, the Japanese Council refused to give her any info concerning his well-being even at gunpoint, and now she had been transferred to an American base in the middle of the desert to oversee Unit 03's completion and train the chosen pilot, Toji Suzahara.

All without air condition.

"Ma'am I'd appreciate it if you didn't kick my furniture." The general in charge of this facility remarked while drinking from a cup of coffee. He probably didn't really give a shit. "But I ain't gonna lie, this is a pain in the ass."

"I thought your men already fixed the power shortage from that storm!"

"They did." The general answered, somewhat offended that the capability of his men had been questioned, "This thing came out of nowhere."

"You're right." The wheels in Misato's head started to move, "It's too specific...I've never heard of a power outage that only got half of a communications system."

"Someone's sabotaging the comm." The general with a scar clawed across the right side of his face took another drink out of his coffee.

"Wouldn't be surprised if Gendo was behind this." Recently, the actions of NERV's commander had Misato worried. Not lifting a finger when Shinji, his own son was captured; allowing Unit 01 to be taken in a deal that everyone knew the pirates wouldn't honor only to have Kaiba buy it and it's pilot from them; and transferring Unit 05 to the Bethany Base and Unit 02 to the German Branch just as Unit 03 was undergoing final testing in the United States.

Weren't the Eva's supposed to guard Lillith from the angels? Why scatter them like this?

"Misato that's just-"

"Maya." Misato grabbed the younger woman's shoulders and brought her face up to her's. Ignoring a cheering private who thought this was the prologue to a make-out scene, "Look me straight in the eye and tell me that Gendo wouldn't set us up like this."

"Misato-" Maya stopped as if something had dawned on her, "Fine maybe he did. But what for?"

"Hate to interrupt," The General cut in, "But we're needed in the bridge." The two Nerv Officers glanced at one another before following the General. Of all the Nerv Personel, Misato was glad that Maya had gone along with her. Hyuga tended to be a bit too nervous at times and Aoba was an uncaring jerk. Maya was still sensitive about combat and all the glorious moments that go along with it, but not only was she very adaptable for a technician and savvy about workings of Evangelion's relationship with their pilots, she also shared Misato's distrust of a certain commander, even if it was at a lower level and for differing reasons.

"General, Colonel Katsuragi, Major Ibuki." The Command Center personnel all stood up and saluted the three as they entered. Despite not being American, Misato did appreciate the respect that came with her new rank.

"At ease." The General told his men, "What's the situation?"

"Sir, we've picked up an unidentified aerial craft on our radar." one of the bridge officers reported.

"Any footage?"

"We've got fighter escorts on it now," A communications techie answered while imagery of two F-22 fighters escorting a helicopter appeared on the overhead, "They've confirmed it to be an MH-53J 'Pave Low' helicopter...but there's no registration code or national identity present."

"Neat." Misato wasn't liking how the situation unfolded. So she stood next to the General, "Why haven't we shot it down?"

"Excuse me?"

"General, you know that this area is a no-fly zone." Seeing as that this was the testing ground for an Eva that was incomplete despite being operational, Misato was surprised that a helicopter would make it this far into a no-fly zone.

"Could be Al-Queda still crying over Bin Laden."

"Order your men to-"

"This is my establishment, jap." The General barked, "Until the radar reads that it's an Angel then this base and it's personnel are under my command and I say that we escort it to base and take the crew into custody."

"Fine." As far as Misato was concerned, let the Americans dig their own grave, but she wasn't ready to let them drag Toji, Maya and everyone else under her command with them. She turned to Maya, who'd already flipped open her laptop, "Patch me through to Unit 3."

* * *

"You want me to what?" Toji knew that the situation was growing tense. Not only had he been ordered to stand by in Unit 03 and accompany the Security GM's, but Misato's tone was one he had never heard.

"Toji, I know it sounds like overkill..." Misato related over the comm, "But I've got a really bad feeling about this helicopter. If you see anything, you open fire."

"But..." Toji could see the helicopter approach, one thing was on his mind, "There's...people in it...right?"

"That's war, people die Toji." Even if she was right, the fact that he could kill someone didn't sit well with Toji. He was a tough guy, but not a murderer, "Would you rather for us to die or them? If something happens, you engage that helicopter and don't stop until it's destroyed. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am." The Fourth Child closed the comm and focused on his viewscreen, "It's just a helicopter and you've been training to fight killer alien monsters."

"First live battle kid?" Toji heard one of the other pilots in the GMs, a guy named Camille if Toji remembered rightly, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon...the first time's always the scariest."

"Nah...it's those quiet seconds before the fighting...that's the worst part." Another pilot retorted to Kamille.

"And then the fighting isn't so bad?" One of the newer pilots, a guy a little older than Toji but unlike the Fourth Child, had never seen live action.

"That's what I thought until Qatar." Another pilot said over the comm as the target neared the airspace.

"Epps." Kamille commented with a voice of warning, "We're not supposed to talk about it."

"I know..." Epps replied, "Why does that heli. look familiar?"

"Unidentified object, power down now." The General called to the chopper over the comm, the American-built helicopter landed gracefully in the ring of armed humvees, jeeps, personnel, and security GM's.

"Ah..." Toji rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, "Did the pilot just...phase out and back in-"

"No...that's just the window of the chopper..." Epps told the Fourth Child, though Toji caught a hint of denial as he spoke.

"How did he get that mustache so long?" The pilot's form blipped in and out of existence again, twirling his ridiculously long moustache as if he didn't care that people knew he was up to no good...

* * *

"Misato..." Maya stared at her laptop screen as if she saw the inside of a spider, "The signal that's disrupting the communications..."

"It's coming from that chopper?" Maya nodded to Misato's question, "Got your piece?"

"Lot of help it'll do." To the girl's credit, Maya had been eased out of her fear of firearms thanks to Misato's "prodding". But the technician still regarded the pistol on her belt with dread, given her nature, Misato didn't blame her.

"MH-53 pilot power down and step out of your vehicle." The base General ordered over the comm. The Command Deck observed the Pavelov with increasing apprehension. Or perhaps it was an add-on from the blackout, "Or we will kill you." The Chopper seemed to comply with the General's command, it's propellers ceased rotation and neatly folded themselves over the top of the helicopter. An then it emitted a strange techno sound.

"Hold your fire!" Misato heard a soldier cry over the radio right before several troops started to open fire on the helicopter. One of them was screaming about "Not this shit again" or "I thought they said he was dead!", there was too much gunfire for Misato to be sure.

That and the helicopter was shifted and switching around it's composition and beginning to form into something else entirely.

"Shit." Misato couldn't agree with Maya more as some 33 foot machine stood up from where the helicopter used to be and started firing energy projectiles from the guns on it's wrists. Fortunately, Unit 03 had already opened fire on the enemy before Misato had to remind him. Unfortunately, the assault rifle was having little to no affect on the enemy unit's armor.

Then it slammed it's arm into the ground, creating an energy pulse that vibrated across the base, sending Unit 03 flying and shattering the glass of every building on the base...

* * *

"All hands battle stations!" Despite the announcement, the base personnel were pretty aware of the situation that they were in. "We're under attack!" Gunfire erupted across the base as the GM's opened fire on the newly transformed machine. The invader released another pulse energy shot that rocketed through the base, disentegrating any mobile suit in it's path and slowly paced through the scene, using it's other hand to fire upon infantry brave enough to engage it.

Panic immediately set in even as tanks were hastily deployed from their hangers. The machine continued to advance, tank fire having minimal effect on it's metallic exoskeleton despite its appearence. After regaining it's composure and weapon, Unit 03 opening fire as it closed the distance between them. The intruder fired another energy shot that flew towards the Evangelion and continued through it's shoulder, throwing it's arm into a nearby building.

The Eva broke the mouth piece of it's helm and roared with anger and pain, blood sprayed out of the wound on it's body as the intruder made the first move. As the taller of the two, Unit 03 swerved from the intruder's bladed attack and threw down it's remaining arm to strike the back of the machine's head. The machine ducked under the attack and fired a point blank pulse shot that severed the remaining arm from Unit 03 while ripping through several nearby GM's at the same time.

The intruder then pulled out it's propeller like blades and stabbed into Unit 03's neck, pulling it down and placing it's arm upon the howling Unit 03's chest...

* * *

Misato ducked on instinct when something crashed into the facility's ceiling. When she stood up, she was horrified to see Unit 03 bent over on it's chest, LCL spraying out of the stubs where arms used to be with a large gash in it's chest. She then saw it's assailant, the machine that had transformed from that helicopter Misato warned the general to shoot down. In it's left arm, it held a damaged GM which it lifted into the air. With it's right, it pulled out a long propeller blade and stabbed into GM's torso.

Misato didn't need anyone to tell her why the GM was bleeding.

The Machine then tore the GM in half and tossed it aside before stomping onto Unit 03's back. It bent down palmed the back of it's head while using the other to rip out a piece of Unit 03's armor, revealing the pilot's capsule. From the other hand, several wires wormed from it's arm and integrated themselves into Unit 03's skull as well as the pilot's capsule.

"It's hacking the Magi through Unit 03's mainframe!" Misato heard one of the Nerv tech's cry as Unit 03's pilot cried out, "Cut the hardline!"

"I need a key it's locked!" Technician's scrambled to cut the base's uplink to the Magi facility further south of the area, but were mowed down by gunfire from the invader's free arm.

"I'm not going to lie down and take this!"

"Misato!" Colonel Katsuragi sometimes wondered how she survived to this point. Especially with actions like jumping onto the invader's metallic arm and climbing along it's body as it continued it's hack. Reaching it's head, she took out her pistol and prayed that this wasn't completely suicidal.

* * *

Maya's hands jumped from her keyboard as she heard a ferocious cry from the intruder. Fighting against her trained instinct, the technician looked up to see the metallic intruder partaking in a strange frantic dance. Unit 03 was still in one hand while the other was prying at his face trying to dislodge something that was shooting into it's now broken eye socket.

That something happened to be Misato Katsuragi.

What Misato was doing, it gave several GM's and tanks time to position themselves and open fire on the distracted infiltrator. Still in pain and aggrevated by the retaliatory fire that still only had minimal affect, the machine released it's grip on the damaged Evangelion and threw it in the direction of the security forces before slamming it's arm into the ground once more.

For reasons May couldn't explain, Maya was now spawled on the cement outside with a broken leg and at least one broken rib. She remembered being thrown in the air by a blue energy that surged through the ground but didn't recall how she went from being inside the base to being outside.

However, seeing a tank slam down behind her put unimportant questions to rest and forced her to prioritize getting to cover. Right when she did manage to crawl under the damaged tank, a totalled GM was thrown right behind her as the assailant appeared. With it's foot over Maya's colonel. Misato was still shooting at it's face as the Machine looked down on her and squeezed down it's foot, causing Misato to cry out as she reloaded her pistol and kept shooting.

"Ever handled a gun?" Maya's attention briefly turned to the wounded soldier who was now crawling out of the damaged tank that Maya was hiding under.

"Not live..." Unless Misato's training course could be considered live.

"Here, try this one." Maya caught the bulked rifle that the soldier threw her and aimed. Normally, she'd be wetting herself and crying about having to take another life. But this wasn't a life, it was a machine that was crushing her friend.

Maya didn't like to see her friends hurt.

* * *

The agent of Deception, the hound of his master, was very displeased with his performance. Sure, he had utterly defeated the imitation of the celestrial Adam, but he had not only failed his mission. He had been blinded by two of the humans.

Both of which were women.

Enraged and savage, the ravager continued to fire all around him, relying on the map he'd downloaded from the Celestrial imitation to pinpoint where the fleshlings would flee. Without their vehicles, they would flee to their planes, without those, they would flee to any remaining armories.

The screams of his victims comforted him somewhat.

But he did acquire a valuable piece of information from the pilot of the celestrial imitation. Information concerning the location of the Lilin, the ones who held the key to his world's revival, the truth of his master's condition and the domination of his race.

"Horaki!" He shouted out the name of the pilot's last contact, informing his detaching companion of the objective. The ground vibrated beneath him as his servant delved into the ground of his pitiful would. He may have failed his primary mission, but he would ensure that none of these humans would live to speak of his humiliated state.

He couldn't see them, but their screams of terror as his pulse weapon disentegrated their carbon-based fleshbags of bodies sent chills of excitement and joy threw his spine. There would be no dawn for they who witnessed the coming of Blackout.

* * *

**Insert Transformers Transistion que**

* * *

**Angel Groove**

To say that the atmosphere of the room was tense...could be the most understated fact of the century. Optimus observed the scene from within the life-support tank Kaiba created to preserve the remnant spark within his head. It wasn't the sort of existence the once-autobot leader would've chosen, but he was content now that the Decepticon threat was ended.

Until now.

Optimus Prime was a veteran of war that waged for much longer than he dared remember. He had seen hundreds of generations born and lost; countless friends, comrades, brothers and sons all killed. He had experienced the edge of death to where it's threat held little care for him. He had also witnessed the same amongst the humans he fought alongside and observed.

Since being brought to Angel Groove, he had seen the capacity of the pilots whom Kaiba had blackmailed. They were a young assembly that had much to learn, but he saw the boundless capacity that they had for good. Even their weakest willed comrade, Shinji Ikari, had shown this potential during their battle with the dragon Deathwing despite the handicap upon his soul.

But now.

Everything that child had built up was now threatened by the man who stood amongst them.

"Father." Shinji's face was looking down at the ground while above him, Gendo Ikari, Commander of Nerv, stood next to Kaiba who himself barely tolerated standing next to the man.

"Did you rape him?"

"Bit!" Van couldn't believe Bit had just asked that question with the same careless smirk he always had.

"Just saying, the kid's reaction reminds me of a rape victim."

"Please...I didn't have to rape my own son." Gendo answered, "I've merely bent the fabric of fate to my will in order to make his life a living hell so that I would be able to control him as an obediant puppet in my scheme to allow mankind to achieve it's evolutional peak."

"So you mind raped him?" Bit's smirk vanished at once, this wasn't going anywhere pleasant.

"In other words, Kaiba did him a favor-"

"Why father? Why didn't you save me!" Shinji cried out, though why anyone would ever want to have that man as his father was beyond most of the personnel on the bridge.

"Because you were of no use to me in captivity." Even if it was hopelessly desperate, to answer your own child's plea with such a cold tone...Roger Smith was not amused.

"But...I thought you needed me-"

"You? It is true, you were useful while you piloted Unit 01." Gendo told Shinji, "But after you were captured and the unexpected completion of Unit 03 with Units 04 and 05 close to completion, I simply found no reason to expend NERV's resources to pay the pirate's ransom."

"I'm...I'm your son..." Shinji was in complete disbelief, "Why should it matter what you would've paid-"

"Again, you had no use to me Shinji." Commander Ikari retorted, "I even considered having you and the Eva transferred back to Tokyo-3 until I found this footage."

"Father...you don't-"

"Clearly, you were a time bomb waiting to explode." Ikari stated without a change in his facial features as the tape played on the viewscreen, showing Unit 01 doing things that even made the Qunari crew member grimace in horror, "Even now, you've allowed your Eva to be damaged more than I would have thought she could handle. This is also a testament to your inability as a pilot. Fortunately, your dismal performance will only be suffered by the spoiled brat with a dragon fetish and also loves to have his prostitutes cosplay as Nurse Joy."

"I take offense to the second and third insults." Kaiba answered while glancing in Commander Ikari's direction.

"Then why the hell are you here?" No longer desperate, Kittan gulped to hear a hint of fierce anger in Shinji's inquiry.

"To manage the purchasing details of the equipment Kaiba will have to replace because you allowed them to be damaged." Ikari answered while bringing to the viewscreen a horribly bloodied and heavily bandaged Unit 01, "And don't bother asking about what Nerv will to say about your exile, you will not be missed."

"Bro...Kittan..." Simon, goggles now on his face, had heard enough, "Toss me."

"How high?" Simon nodded towards the command deck while Kittan and Kamina knelt down. Simon hopped on their shoulders and bracing off, he leapt from the ground floor and managed to catch hold of the command deck's railing and hoisted himself up.

"Mr. Smith, I didn't hear you come in." Roger Smith was now also on the bridge and he was cracking his knuckles silently.

"Good." No one would have guessed that Roger would be fast enough to move closer to Commander Ikari within the speed of a blink. But if they knew who was with Ikari, they wouldn't be surprised when Smith's fist was caught by another bronzed and muscular hand, "And you are?"

"If you have to ask then I pity you." Simon's eyes widened when the large muscular man with red spiral eyes and strange mustache had appeared in time to keep Smith's fist from hitting Ikari's face.

"It's...LordGenome..." The bronze skin, those spiral eyes, Simon grit his teeth, "You...you were the one who threw us into the mines...it's your fault that my parents are dead!"

"And what are you going to do about it, boy?" The spiral king asked, never taking his eyes of the negotiator who was still fixed on the man with the yellow shades.

"Just watch!" Simon wrenched his core drill from around his neck and after clutching it, green fire burst out and formed into a drill over his arm. Simon then jumped forward with his drill ready to pierce...

Which it did.

"Can't let you do that, Simon." Simon spat as his drill was impaled and stuck in the body of a white haired warrior with large clawed paws. The warrior grinned as he formed the claws of one of his paws into drills.

"Hey it's Viral!" Kamina stated as he stepped in to defend his little bro, breaking Viral's drills with his bare hands and clashing his blade with the one Viral produced, "Too much of a chicken shit to go into a fair fight?"

"The mighty Kamina!" Called the shark jawed, white haired warrior who clashed his thick cleaver against Kamina's sheathed katana, "Still carrying around that katana to compensate?"

"You're one to talk!" Kittan appeared overhead and leapt down on the spiral warrior who was unaffected by a huge drill pierced through his body. But, his twin blades failed to hit their mark. "Ah great, scorpion bitch."

"Glad to see you too," Adiane the Elegant said, her scorpion tail easily holding off Kittan's star hilted knives, "How are those sluts you call sisters?"

"Now...now...let's not kill each other yet." Roger turned from the Spiral King to face the man in a white business suit who now entered.

"Hate to agree but yes, let's not have an action scene in the command deck of my property." Kaiba stated, completely unamused by all of the events transpiring in front of him like he wasn't relevant.

"Alan Rosewater...aren't you working on your 2016 Campaign?"

"Every businessman needs a break, least my Angel thought I did." Rosewater replied, "Oh...I hear you and that...lady of yours had a daughter, perhaps she and my son could become...playmates?"

"Unlikely at the present." Roger growled.

"Perhaps we can persuade you, Negotiator." Roger had heard that voice before, he couldn't remember it, but his body registered with absolute dread and terror. Next to him stood a white haired man with a brown turncoat who had a scare on his face and a chilling glare in his eyes.

"You're..." The name came to Roger immediately, "Vicious."

"Don't bother, I know that is all you remember about me." Rosewater's apparent body guard told the Negotiator while the tension in their little area of the room only increased all the more.

"The Spiral King and flunkies, Rosewater Corp's president and a Triad swordsman," Kaiba simply addressed Commander Ikari with his trademark difference, "Ikari, where did you dig these freaks up?"

"Seto, maybe you should just-"

"Shut up Mokuba, I have a reputation to keep."

"Freak? Have you looked in a mirror?" Adiane mused before using her scopion stinger to strike the ground in front of Kaiba, who didn't flinch.

"Obviously you haven't or else you'd never show your face in public." Adiane snarled but for some reason, noticing that "Odin Lowe" was standing behind her with his fingers pointed like a gun seemed to startle her.

"Wow...four of the most powerful people in the world are in that room and only one of them likes us." Van commented to Bit as they watched the viewscreen displaying the command deck where Kaiba and they're teammates were confronted by these strange new characters.

"Wait Kaiba?" Bit failed to surpress a chuckle, "Tolerate would be a better word."

"Yeah..."

"Then these are three pairs of people of who don't like each other." Bit observed.

"Go on."

"Well...The Negotiator has had a bad run-in with Mr. Rosewater in the past and I have a feeling that this Angel has something to do with unresolved sexual tension..." Bit explained to the Fanelian King, "Simon didn't take kindly to how Lord Genome has treated his daughter, factor in the rumors about Genome throwing the miners into the mines in the first place and there's another conflict thread altogether...and then we have Shinji and his father...Then there's...Vicious."

"Sad." Van needed only to look at his comrades to feel ever more grateful for his stable family life, "Glad I don't have to worry about family issues."

"Me too..." Just then, Bit's face shifted to a mask of annoyance and a bit of anger when he noticed someone else enter the command deck, "No...please...let it not be-"

"Well well! If it isn't my arch rival in the game of love and war, Bit Cloud!" Harry Champ called out, flanked by two very nervous robot guards.

"Damn it...what are you doing here Harry?"

"I've been stalking my beloved Leena on Facebook and finally found out that she lives here!" A passing employee stood in place and stared at Harry before shaking his head and continuing on his path, "So where is my darling?"

"She's not interested."

"Nonsense!"

"Okay! Do you want me to cut this guy in half?"

"Don't waste the attack." Bit held out his arm, though he only did so reluctantly, "Did you buy something here?"

"Actually, Champ Inc. has become a business partner with Rosewater Corp." Harry told his rival-in-love, "So that makes me one of the powers behind the American throne!"

"I care because?"

"Leena will clearly see me as the better man now! Not that this wasn't true originally."

"Okay that's it! You annoy me!" Agitated to his limit, Van drew out his sword, "Van slash!" The Fanelian king slashed the air in front of him, sending a surge of magically propelled oxygen in Harry Champ's direction capable of cutting through adamantine bunkers.

Except that another wave of magically propelled oxygen stopped it.

"Keep your sword in it's sheath little dragon boy..." A newcomer announced as he deactivated his apparent cloaking device to reveal his bishonen physique and white well-combed hair.

"Dilandau?" Van was in disbelief, "What the hell are you doing out of prison!"

"Writ of Conscription." Van snatched the piece of paper that Dilandau held out and immediately began to read it, "Lord Genome needed an extra special ops pilot, so I took the job and had me released."

"Oh that is some bull-"

"He is right, Bit." Van admitted in defeat, "This is a valid signature of Lord Genome, consul of the Tribunal...I have no choice but to honor this document."

"Why?" Bit still didn't understand what was stopping the king from slashing this obvious psychopath into itty bitty pieces, "And what's the Tribunal?"

"The Tribunal is only the most powerful military entity in this part of existence." Dilandau answered, "Well they're not officially over anyone, but they're strong enough that most powers including your world respect it's codes. Like the Writ of Conscription, allowing for any individual to be conscripted into the service of a Tribunal entity."

"Great." Bit was loving how the day went so far, first Shinji's evil father, then Simon's evil boss, then Roger's evil business rival flanked by a psycho swordsman, Bit's girlfriend's stalker, and now this friendly guy who Van was not happy about being released from jail, "So what's your story?"

"Don't address this so casually!" Van yelled, "This man is responsible for the murder of hundreds of civilians and soldiers, including those under his command!"

"Well I can't help it if they thought my uniform wasn't fabulous." Dilandau didn't seem to upset about whoever all he had murdered which pissed Van off all the more.

Back up on the bridge, Gendo answered his phone while everyone else continued their "showdowns." The man didn't make a single motion as he turned if back off and motioned to LordGenome and Rosewater, who in turn motioned down to Dilandau and Champ.

"As pleasant as this discussion has been, we have more pressing matters to attend to." Alan Rosewater said with a bow as Vicious left through the exit, "Until another day, Negotiator."

"Hey! I'm not-" Simon however, still had his drill stuck in the grinning but still bleeding Viral, leaving him open to when LordGenome grabbed the boy and threw him down to ground level while blocking Kamina and Kittan's slashes and throwing them down with a sneeze. Kittan was knocked into a wall while Kamina landed on his feet next to his little bro.

"Now you are." The Spiral King called while Simon rubbed his head and Kamina narrowed his eyes at the beastmen who had previously impelled them down into the earth. Especially at Viral who still had that stupid grin on his face.

"Hey look! I'm bleeding!" Viral called down while pointing to the healing gash in his chest, "That means I win!"

"Still...at least some of you had the courage to stand up for yourselves..." LordGenome's words sounded like something to spark Simon but he stopped and saw that Shinji hadn't moved from that same spot he had originally been standing.

"Just...just tell me one thing..." Shinji said as he looked up to his father, "How are...Misato and the others-"

"No, you are no longer of their concern Shinji." Gendo's glare continued to burn into Shinji's very soul. Even with those damn shades he could see them, "Evangelion Unit 01 is owned by Kaiba Cooperation and therefore, it's pilot no longer has any voice or ear in NERV affairs. Even if you did have some small claim, Colonel Katsuragi has made it blatantly clear that she never wants to hear of a boy named Shinji Ikari ever again."

"YOU'RE LYING!"

"Am I? Or are you running away? You are alone Shinji Ikari. Make peace with that simple, honest truth." Shinji clenched his fists and turned his glance to the floor once more as if to escape his father's glance, "Do make my son at home." Odin Lowe kept point his finger-gun at Gendo, even as the Commander turned and proceeded to exit the command center.

"Even our stepfather wasn't as much of a douche-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Seto told his little brother, he was not in the mood to hear about that bastard when another one just as bad was walking out of the command center of his command center.

"Is that why you called us in here?" Van demanded, "So that Genome could throw Kamina, Kittan and Simon to the curve; Rosewater passive aggressively own Roger; have Shinji get mindscrewed by his jerkass father; and annoy Bit with some loser who keeps hitting on his girlfriend? Not to mention informing me that Inter-Planetary Order was slapped by releasing a known criminal into the service of Genome!"

"Actually, I was here to thank you for not causing billions of dollars in collatoral damage."

"Well you know what-" Van paused when he realized what Kaiba had just answered, "Oh...thank you."

"I would've sued all of you for the millions I'll have to spend replacing the GM's you allowed to get destroyed." Seto mused, "But gaining the Eldunari of an ancient dragon of chaotic destruction should make us even, right?"

**"MY VENGEANCE SHALL BURN WITH A THOUSAND SUNS WHEN I AM RESTORED!"**

"What makes you think I'll be stupid enough to let that happen?" Kaiba told the Eldunari sitting next to his command seat and left the room to talk to his technician staff about repairing that damned Evangelion.

"Bro?" Simon saw that Shinji was even more down then usual. Simon didn't need a degree to know that it was Shinji's "father", but Shinji looked like he'd been kept in a pool of ice for days.

"Just leave me alone..."

"You're really gonna let that bastard get to you?"

"That bastard's my father...what else can I do?"

"Shinji." Roger landed on the ground floor, "I wouldn't bother holding that man's opinion any higher than it should be."

"Well I'm not you am I?"

"Hey now! We're only trying to help you little..." Van snorted when he saw the indifferent glare in Shinji's eyes and turned to leave, "Fine, you wanna be alone, you get your wish."

"Aniki? Can't you punch him?"

"Now's not the time Simon..." Kamina calmly answered his ward, "Sometimes...badasses just get down...what was Bright's number, Kittan?"

"Left my phone at home, I'll have to get it from Kiyone."

"Till then." Kamina gave Shinji his usual smile as he pat the boy on the back, "You know where to find us."

"Are we gonna leave him alone to face this?"

"No...we're just going to give him a few minutes by himself." Roger answered Bit as they left the Command Bridge.

"You do realize that we're talking about the least emotionally stable member of our group right?" Bit brought up, "For all we know, those few minutes will give a kid as smart and depressed as Shinji to come up with a suicide plan crazy enough to kill him."

"Well all of you dropped the ball didn't you?" Odin Lowe asked the group, startling them since they didn't notice he was following them.

* * *

Back in the Bridge, Optimus observed the confrontation that ensured in calculating silence. Of the faces who were present, he knew of only a few, specifically the Spiral King with whom Prime had often clashed with and lost many brothers to.

As expected, the guardians of this city acted appropriately once these newcomers displayed their true colors. Optimus had learned and seen enough of the human species to know when they were up to no good.

But now, Optimus witnessed it's aftermath, a child once more broken by his parent...and his handicap was sure to increase. In respect to the boy's wishes, he was left alone on the bridge to ponder into his soul. Though Optimus saw the boy stare down into the abyss beneath the bridge as if ready to leap.

"Shinji you may feel ready to lose faith in others, but do not lose faith in yourself." The boy jumped back, Optimus had grown used to this reaction, "Though I have watched you for only a short time, I have learned enough to know that everything that man told you was false."

"You don't need to coddle me..." As figured, the boy's spirit was already sinking into a vast abyss created from years of neglect and self-depreciation. Optimus had seen this state before...it had claimed many a brave soldier under his command.

"Coddle? I only speak the truth, Shinji Ikari." Optimus told the boy, "I was once within your shoes, the role and burden of leadership and guardianship of my entire race. What you have faced and conquered elevates you above most of your species. My fate has been entwined with your's for the greatest part of my existance and through that entwining, I have witnessed mankind at it's utmost worst."

"But in people like you, the selflish who protect inspite of all they suffer, I see also your greatest asset. In you, I see why the All-Father has chosen your race to inherit dominion of his creation when you prove ready."

"I know you and everyone else is trying to help, I...really appreciate it," Shinji said, "But this...won't go away, he's defined my whole life. Somehow...I know he hates me...he probably thinks that it's my fault mom died. When I was nine, I saw him at my...mother's grave...He couldn't stand the sight of me...he didn't say anything, he didn't even acknowledge that I was there..."

"And yet, you still desired his love." The human need for acceptance and love was not alien to those of cybertronian descent. Optimus too missed the warmth of being amongst his friends.

"I needed it..." Shinji admitted, "Now I know I was only deluding myself...live with myself and others will live with you..." It was flimpsy logic that the boy spoke, but Optimus saw from where it was born. "You know what...he's right...I am alone. The sooner I accept it...the better off I'll be."

"Shinji, fate at times witholds our proper reward for endurance." It saddened Optimus to see Shinji down himself after rising so far, "You may believe that your burden is yours to bear alone...do not allow the fear and hopelessness of the present to isolate you from those who respect and care for you. Pain is an inevitable part of the symbiant lifeform, it is only through that pain will we grow."

"You're Optimus Prime!" Perhaps he had pressed the boy too much, Shinji's outburst was still...unsettling, "What do you know about fear? About hopelessness? What the fuck do you know about pain?"

"I know of these things, Shinji..." Optimus said silently as he watched the boy leave. It was ironic that in his own pain, the boy failed to see nor question the circumstances that led Optimus Prime to being reduced to little more than a head within a glorified jar, "More than I hope you will ever know."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thanks to all of you Mighty Morphin Mecha Rangers has received Twelve-Hundred views! Thanks to all who reviewed, your input helps a huge deal.  
**

**If it seems like I flanderized Gendo a bit, trust me, he's not very sympathetic when you sit down and really think about the kind of man who would do the stuff that Gendo did to Shinji.**

**Plus...I'm a bit mad at my own old man so I might have channeled some of that frustration into Gendo's characterization...but really, is it too far from the douche he pretty much is?**

**Also, even if Gendo's an asshole, he's still Shinji's father so I had him react appropriately. But worry not, this won't be too permanent.  
**


	7. Bowl or Die

**Earth's Orbit**

"Great! We've lost comm with the Fleet!" Jason Todd threw his head phones at the front view of his shuttle and crossed his arms over his chest to sulk. He and his partner, Nolan Satone remained utterly bored gliding above the earth in their Longsword-class Interceptor. This patrol and surveillance mission was simply the most boring and pointless mission that the two scout pilots had ever been given. Now, they're so far from the fleet that they can't even comm back and complain about how stupid this mission was.

"Who cares...let's check on this satellite and go home." Nolan stated as he lied back with his arms behind his head. So easy for him to be calm, he wasn't the pilot. Still annoyed, Jason brought the Longsword to float beside American satellite that he had been sent to check on. Quickly putting on his helmet and waiting until his partner did the same, Jason smirked and decided to make this trip interesting, "Brace!"

"Why-" Nolan quickly grabbed the harness of his vest when he felt the air being sucked out of the cockpit. He really hated it when Jason activated the emergency hatch, he really did, "You know we have a door, right?"

"This was more fun." Jason leapt out and operated the small thrusters on his suit to control his propulsion through space. Between the moon and the earth itself, he and his partner flew towards the designated satellite.

"Todd..." Nolan was growing just a nervous as Jason as they neared the satellite, " Do you...see what I see?"

"Yeah..." Jason replied as they halted their flight on the satellite and observed it's changed exterior. The installation had been covered over by a dark grey metallic growth that penetrated it's surface and vibrated with electric blue energy.

"I don't recall ever having that metallic extension put in." Nolan commented when they realized this growth covered the entire installation, "Screw it, let's get out here!"

"No! No! Let's check it out." Tood grabbed his partner to keep him from leaving, "Bet it's like some kind of alien installation."

"We've already seen aliens and this doesn't look like something any of them would build!"

"Shut it, spoilsport!" Captivated with curiosity, the pilot climbed along the satellite until he found the maintenance hatch that would allow a single individual inside to configure the installed cpu. Nolan watched as his partner opened the hatch, "What the-" Vines modeled after the metallic growth burst out of the hatch and constricted Todd, pulling him inside the satellite before Nolan could say a word. Seeing the metal begin the shift and recognizing the displacement of imagery behind the satellite, Nolan threw himself into a mad dash for the nearby Longsword.

Then a vine wrapped itself around his neck and swiftly pulled him back to the installation, the last thing he saw was the designation SAT-1...

"Soundwave Acknowledges." The ears and eyes of his brothers on this fleshling infested planet, the machine barely stirred from his place behind the human satellite as he picked up the incoming transmission.

"Mission accomplished?" Soundwave heard his ally inquire, for him, it was a small motion to transfer visuals of Blackout's mission to the ally, "What did he find?"

"It is just as you suggested." Soundwave stated, "Eve 01 is a clone of the celestrial mother."

"Tell your comrades to keep a low profile for now." The ally suggested, "When the time is right, you will be given a signal."

"So if what you are telling me is correct." Soundwave began, "The purple demonic machine possesses the fruit of life needed to revive our home planet?"

"Correct," He did not trust this individual, he was a fleshing, yet not at the same time, "Furthermore, my associate is getting closer to discovering the location of your master."

"Where is he?" By Primus, if this fleshling withheld information about where his leader was, Soundwave would discover this and then pay him a personal visit.

"Not yet I'm afraid," The communication's officer scoffed, "If I speak for too long, **he'll** be able to find me."

"Understood, cutting transmission." The line cut, the communication's officer and lieutenant of his brothers switched the comm to any available brethren and gave out long awaited commands, "Decepticons, move to primary standby. The time for our revenge approaches...the time of renewal, is inevitable."

"If you call that renewal." Though all were within his sight and nothing could appear without him hearing it, Soundwave did not detect the presence of the boy floating beside him until the child spoke, "Don't mind me, I simply require this space to leave a gift."

"Gift?" Soundwave did not trust this glowing pale boy. The child made no attempt to hide his presence from him as though the boy did not see him as a threat. From his many generations of experience, Soundwave took this as a sign that the child was powerful, "Do as you wish, Celestrial."

"I am glad we understand one another." The boy stretched out his hand, a spear of transcending light gathered into his palm, forming into a long shaft with a simple helix blade at the end. "It would be a waste to dispose of one carrying such a majestic voice." The boy took hold of the now solid object and with his other hand, formed four rising strands of what Soundwave knew to be the DNA code of these fleshlings. The child dipped his spearhead onto his hand, smiling as the strands were absorbed into the blade.

As Soundwave watched, the boy then walked a top nothingness as though the earth were his sidewalk and threw the spear down onto the blue planet below them. The Communication's Officer remained silent, but truly curious, he noted to keep track of what would become of the Celestrial's action.

* * *

**Transformers Transition Que from Decepticon to Blue-Eyes White Dragon**

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Hanger**

"What's the diagnosis?" Seto had no idea why Optimus told him to come to the hanger where Mokuba and his team of handpicked technicians were overseeing the currently heavily damaged and bandaged Evangelion.

"How did you feel whenever Gorzaboro bent you over and-"

"Not the wimp, his mecha." Kaiba told the head technician as his glance fell on the mostly intact helmet covering Eva's head. By now, Kaiba was fully aware that this machine wasn't truly a machine at all. But as soon as Seto learned the full story behind this bio-mecha, a single thought stuck to his mind...

What were the Japanese thinking?

"Honestly...if this company wasn't ridiculously rich, then I'd write it off as totaled." The Technician admitted, "Even with the incoming parts from Nerv, there's no way we'll be able to restore it to it's previous state."

"That's fine then." Mokuba stated while sitting along the rails of the catwalk leading to Unit 01.

"Sir?" The technician inquired in surprise. Seto allowed himself to smirk, Mokuba had come a long way from that annoying brat who was always kidnapped, Mokuba had now become very capable and it wasn't too hard to see the younger Kaiba try to take over if Seto ever loses his edge.

At least he'd better after all the times he's had to be rescued.

"Gentlemen, we have the technology, we can rebuild Eva." Mokuba stated loud enough for the whole crew to hear, "We can make it better, stronger, faster, and more powerful than what could've ever been conceived as possible-"

"Shut up and get to the point Mokuba." Mokuba grumbled and handed his older brother a blue sheet that he had pain-stakingly worked on, "Nice Blueprints, get started immediately."

"What does ANIMA stand for?" The Head technician asked when he looked over the blueprints and pointed out the ancronym on the top of the sheet.

"Subaru came up with it, it stands for-"

"Shut up Mokuba," Seto turned as his coattails flew into a techie's face and caused him to fall off of the catwalk, "Get started on the Rebuild of Evangelion."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Waiting Lounge**

"What do you mean it was out of your hands!" Van yelled into a mystical mist of black smoke as Bit, Roger, Kamina, Kittan and Simon sat on the bench outside of Shinji's room. After the visit from Gendo, Shinji's wounds started to act up and he was forced to stay in the medical center for the past two days.

"Forgive me brother," Van's older brother stated through the black mist that was apparently a Fanelian form of communication, "The Tribunal saw fit to enforce their writ of conscription."

"So you just let that murderer out without argument, Folken?"

"If I had resisted that would have invoked the ire of the Spiral King." Folken calmly answered while the others listened on, "Should I have risked our people for this point of principle?"

"No..." Still visibly angry, Van exhaled and knelt down to a knee, "Forgive my outburst..."

"It is of no concern, you act accordingly for a king of Fanelia." Folken assured Van as the black mist began to thin and fade, "Be careful brother...The tides of fate...are shifting..."

"I will..." When the mist had completely disappeered, Van turned back to his teammates and admitted, "That didn't make me any calmer..."

"Should it?" Bit crossed his arms over his head and huffed out of his nose, "Harry's right next door to Angel Groove! Kaiba's little security net better not let him anywhere near Leena or I'll blast his ass into-"

"There are children present, mind your language." Roger admonished, referring not just to Simon but to a little boy who was visiting his injured older brother, "For now, we'll just have to work with this situation."

"They punch, we punch back..." Simon stated, "We're not going back..."

"Who ever said we were, little bro?" Kamina asked while he sat with his back against the wall as if this had no concern for a man of his calibur of awesomeness, "Your drill doesn't go backwards! It only goes up and forward! If the beastmen try to stop us, just drill em in their faces!"

"Leave the bitch for me though!" Kittan barked before the door to their fifth member opened, "Hey Shinji...how are ya holding up?"

"Well I can't ever go home again, but why worry about it?" Shinji answered, now robed in a patient's tunic with his officer pants underneath, "I'm useless to him, so at least he'll leave me alone."

"You sure he won't try to take Eva?"

"Nerv has about Three active Evas, plus two more in testing." Shinji answered Bit, "Plus they were planning on spanning the series up to Unit 13, they won't miss the test-type Eva."

* * *

**Unspecified Location...that doesn't exist**

"Tell me Gendo..." Seele 09 mused as the changed guard assembled to discuss a recent development, "Why did you allow Kaiba-boy to buy your precious Unit 01?"

"I agree," Seele 07 stated, "Wasn't Unit 01 essential to your plan?"

"Unit 01's role has not changed." Gendo answered without breaking his posture as the members of Seele listened, "I've merely isolated the pilot in an environment where he can more safely be controlled and manipulated."

"Yes, an area close to where the Special Nerv Installation was destroyed." Seele 05 stated, "Do you know anything about that?"

"From what little information we've gathered, there appear to be no survivors." LordGenome reported as scattered cuts of footage from the Unit 03 Testing Center played on the ceiling above. "The Hound is looking for it's master."

"Good luck trying find him." Seele 11 boasted, "That tin-can's been locked up in the deepest part of the ocean. We're not worried about Cybertronians...they're just the last remaining trash from a dead planet."

"Regardless, we should keep an eye out for their activities." Seele 00 suggested, "Gendo, what of Unit 02, seeing as that it has been stationed so close to my little cottage?"

"Do as you wish." Gendo told the associate within Europe, "Until further notice gentlemen." With that, the imagery of all save Seele 00 and Keelz vanished.

"A little while longer," Seele 00 mused as his domino also warped from the room, leaving a very hopeless and dumbfounded Keelz to sit in the dark and wonder to himself about exactly when Gendo Rokubongai, the Tokyo Brawler, managed to wrestle control of one of the most powerful societies on the planet.

Why didn't they kill Yui before she became a threat? Now look what that blasted woman had produced...

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24 Downtown...where nothing interesting ever happens...**

Except when most of the denizens were gathered in the square after a very interesting event happened. At first it was no different than any other afternoon, everyone moved about their day, employees went to their jobs, children passed through for a snack and the bakeries remained filled with eager customers eager to try out sweets from around the world and beyond it.

Then the boy on his Moped had an accident.

Granted, he was driving very recklessly and it was a miracle that he didn't hit anyone in the street or the sidewalk. But that wasn't what caused the accident...Something hit the poor boy in the head and knocked him into the curve while his moped flipped into the side of a gentleman's club. The boy was of course alive but still lying on the ground.

No one wanted to touch what was in his head.

"Are you alright?" An old man asked as he bent down to where the boy in the blue sweat lay while the growing crowd around him watched the scene with curiosity and concern. Accept for the boy's black hair schoolmate who sat down and drained a bottle of Pineapple juice as she sat on the boy's lap.

"He has a lance in his head," The girl stated to the old man, "What do you think?" The lance was almost divine, it was completely white with a translucent aura that gave off the impression that it had fallen from the heavens themselves.

"Of everything that's been thrown into my head," The boy clearly and apathetically lamented to the crowd's utter shock, "God finally decides to try and smite me himself..."

"What did you do?" Another observer inquired judgementally, he clearly did approve of these two teens or their blue robot nearby trying to motion the crowd to leave with a sign that read "Move Along, it's for your own good."

"I just have the right kind of head for this stuff..."

"I don't know, you look a bit like a unicorn." The girl told her partner while a paramedic broke through the crowd and came to where the boy was.

"Uh..." As the medic watched, the boy grabbed the lance with both hands, "Maybe you shouldn't touch it-" Then ignored the medic's advice and started to wrench the lance from his forehead as though it were a minor scrap.

"Yeah yeah, just stand back," The boy warned as he stood up and pulled more and more of the lance out of his head. Soon it became very clear that the boy's head was unlike most others, "I have no idea whats going to pop out once I get this thing out."

"The only thing that's going to come out is-" Just as the boy had pulled the lance out of his head, a pair of arms reached out from the boy's forehead and grabbed the lance before this day became far from ordinary.

That was the part when everyone started running.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"So I can't shut him up?" Seto asked his assistant in regards to a recent trophy. As cool as having the eldunari of Deathwing, the Destroyer of Worlds as a trophy that scares the hell out of competitors was to Kaiba, he couldn't stand that it yelled at him at every chance it got.

**"YOU DARE TO TRY AND SILENCE THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS?" **See, there it was again, Deathwing just wouldn't shut up! You'd think an ancient dragon would be more accepting and at peace with spending the rest of their life in a crystal orb, but no, Kaiba got the one who never knew when they were beaten.**  
**

"We've tried everything sir..." The assistant answered, "His voice is just to powerful to absorbed by any material..."

**"NOTHING IN THIS WORLD MAY BREAK THE SWAY OF MY PRESENCE!"**

"Whatever, it's not like he can do anything worse." Kaiba shooed away the assistant and sat down in his command chair. It actually belonged to a ship in the Federation, but much like the Defense Force GMs, Seto bought the chair and had it removed from it's maiden vessel to be transferred to Angel Groove. The President allowed himself to smirk, knowing now why those Federation Captains always had these chairs, they were so relaxing...

"Sir...we have a situation..." Seto's smirk faded when he saw the Commander of the Defense Force on the overhead screen. He wished that this was a call to tell Seto that the Defense Force would no longer demand salaries, but Seto knew that was a dream too good to be true.

"Armada, I don't have time for small talk!" Seto barked at the Commander, "Are you in the middle of a live-action drill?"

**"DO NOT IGNORE ME!" **Seto was using every ounce of his ego to keep from taking the eldunari and tossing it into the abyss beneath the Command Deck, but that would be too easy.**  
**

"Wish I were sir..." Armada reported as gunfire erupted in the background of Armada's location, "My unit's going engaged and pinned down by four anomalies."

"Anomalies?" Kaiba was going to have to tell these pilots to be more specific, the term anomaly was no longer a suitable description of an identified threat.

"Hold on Mr. Kaiba..." Seto waited while Shiro's GM equipped a bazooka and fired a missile at whatever it was that he and his squad were engaging, "Damn! Residents in District 24 reported seeing a bright light strike the Angel Groove downtown area. We detected a large amount of energy so we sent a unit to investigate."

"And?"

"Getting to it sir!" Seto really hated Armada's attitude sometimes, no wonder the Federation kicked him out, "We found a minor, fifteen years of age and of Japanese descent, the minor had a glowing lance sticking out of his head..."

"Oh great...then what?"

"The kid started pulling..." Shiro stated as another GM was thrown past the Commander, "And he pulled the lance out and...something else along with it..."

"Incoming!" Shiro's GM knelt down next to two others as they started firing at a large swarm of what appeared to be insects before an explosion rocked the Commander and cut the transmission.

"Why does this happen to us?" Seto asked no one, "Why can't these things happen in some other city like New York or Tokyo?"

**"PUNY ANT! NONE CAN HOLD BACK THE WHIM OF CALAMITY!"**

"Break it or move it!" Seto commanded anyone, relived when "Lowe" picked up the object, put it in a special box and carried it out of the Command Deck to Kaiba's huge relief, "So...annoying..."

* * *

**Command Center Lounge**

"We're under attack again?" Bit asked as the sirens blared through the center and everyone was running like headless chickens, "Who does Kaiba keep pissing off?"

"Whoever ever I feel like!" Kaiba's voice yelled out from the wall, "That's right, I can talk to anyone, anywhere within my own command center, deal with it!"

"What's the situation." Roger requested, seeing no point in argueing with Kaiba given the current situation.

"There's a problem in District 24." Seto told the Negotiator and nearby pilots, "Go deal with it and make sure this isn't another prank!"

"You heard the man." Van called out, "Everyone, get to your stations and let's wrap this up."

"What about Shinji?" Simon asked, reminding himself that Eva was under heavy repairs after their last battle.

"You heard my father..." Shinji stated, "Thanks to me...Eva's in no condition for piloting..." Nothing had changed, Shinji had been this way ever since being readmitted to the medical ward. There was even talk about keeping him under a suicide watch.

"In any case, you're on medical leave Shinji." Roger reminded their teammate, "Even if we could, we won't put you in harm's way needlessly."

"It's not like anyone would miss me-"

"Then why are you still alive?" Van asked, only to have Shinji narrow his eyes and veer his face to the floor, "You wanna mope? Fine!" Grumbling, the Fanelian King exited the lounge to get ready for the battle to come.

"Guess you'll have to make due without the wimp." Kaiba called through the comm.

"Cheer up Aniki," Simon assured his friend, "You deserve a break after that close call." Simon mentally slapped himself for forgetting that Shinji almost died from passing something called the "Pain Threshold". It's just that Shinji seemed to have bounced back so well that Simon forgot about it...then Shinji's father showed up with LordGenome...

At least Nia wasn't there when her father was still here...

"Thanks Simon..." Shinji slowly replied to the younger boy and lightly punched him on his shoulder, "Now get out there...show those anomalies your drill!"

"I'm Simon the Digger," Simon boasted as he slipped his goggles onto his face, "Would you expect less?"

"Just relax kiddo, that's what a team's around for." Bit said to the barely smirking Shinji, "They pick up the slack for each other. So sit back and watch us slave away while sipping a lemonade."

"What Bit means is, regain your strength." Roger clarified while the sirens continued, "A team carries the burden together, so no one should work alone."

"Alone?" Shinji replied almost chokingly, his shoulders heaved as he struggled to breath for a brief moment, "You're right guys, I'm not alone. Now go kick some anomalies around so we can all go home."

"That's the spirit, aniki," Simon's smile grew wider as he and the group started for their mission, "Nia should be by with cookies, so...try em out, they're great!"

"I'm sure they are." Shinji smiled back as he saw his teammates head to their positions. Once they were gone, he was alone in the lounge...no one was here to seek his smile so he allowed it to die, "That's...how they were meant to be...that was how they were created...formed together for the purpose of drawing out the good that they all held individually. As individuals, the cookies hold no value because a single cookie is only thus...once eaten...there will never be another like it again...it is only in the group that the cookie can achieve it's full purpose...Even when the batch is gone...the cookies are still happy...because they were not alone."

"Wow...a cookie is more happy then you are mister." Shinji's widened in shock when he turned to face the person speaking to him. A little boy with black hair and a wide eyed, idealistic expression, "Don't even try to ask...you know who I am."

"Know who you are?" Shinji saw the boy and with just a glance in his eyes, he instantly knew who he was speaking to, "Yeah...I guess I do...Rosebud..."

"Mama liked that movie, you remember?"

"Are you real?"

"What's real, mister?" The boy replied, "Maybe I am a real boy who looks like you when you were three or I am the visage from your past...does it matter?"

"You realize if I'm put in the asylum, you'll come with me, right?"

"When did you get the impression that anyone cares about your state of being?" Shinji's eyes narrowed at the boy's inquiry, "Everyone leaves us...Papa...Sister...Misato...even Mother..."

"Mother was killed by father's selfishness!" Shinji cried, memories of that day unwillingly flooded back into his head as he resisted the urge to strangle this little boy, "She didn't want to leave us-"

"Is that what you believe?" The boy inquired, "Then why did she make us watch? Why didn't she take us with her? Why does papa blame us for her death?"

"Mother..." Shinji felt tears build up in his eyes, but why? He knew his mother's death was an accident, "That's...that's not...that's not true!"

"Face it...Mama left us because she hated us...Papa left us because he hated us...Sister...Misato...Rei...everyone left us because they hated us...hated you." The boy focused his gaze straight into Shinji's eyes, "I'm what's left...I'm the only one who was ever truly happy...are you happy? You think you have new friends...but what will stop them from hating us and leaving us? Leaving you? Alone?" The smiled innocently as Shinji felt a tear roll down his cheek. Everything this boy was saying was a lie and yet...why were they making him sad? "Then again, haven't you alone the whole time?"

"Whoever said I was denying that?" Even as he spoke, Shinji's mind repeated the mantra, "I mustn't run away! I mustn't run away!" Over and over in his mind.

"Because you exist...because you carry on like a toy that still thinks he'll be played with even though his shelf is dustier than the engine of an airplane."

"Doesn't that include you?" The boy burst into laughter as he wiped sudden tears from his eyes. Shinji knew the boy was as sad as he was, but he still wore his smile.

"I'm not the one in denial mister. I always knew that the love of family was uncompromising, neither of them had a reason to hate us. But they did and they left us to suffer...they left us because they didn't want us and then they took away sister and made her hate us too...But then you decided to cover that over with false and flimsy hope that one day that family would come for you."

"I...don't...need him..." Shinji growled almost ready to tackle this little boy, "I can live with myself...and then...others...will love and live with me..."

"Who are you trying to delude?" The boy tilted his head while still wearing the same innocent smile, "Someone who might not be real...or yourself?"

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24**

"You alright Van?"

"I might've been a bit hard Shinji..." Van lamented in answer to Simon, "I'm still frustrated about Dilandu and that rubbed off on him...A king should be in control of his emotions..."

"You're only human," Bit said to Van and then scratched his nose when he remembered something, "Sort of..."

"You can apologize to him after we come to terms with these anomalies." Roger assured Van before turning to Bit, "Any word from the Defense Force?"

"Shiro got some of the unit to a safe zone, but the rest got trapped and they'll need some help."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon, "Let's show em that there in the wrong town!"

"Exactly what I had in mind!" Roger took out his watch and called into it, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shots out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

"Little excited aren't we?" Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero!" At once, Liger Zero jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

"Keep the breath before the plunge, it's the battle I seek!" Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne I summon thee!" A giant rock appears out of nowhere and Escaflowne breaks out of the giant rock and kneels down behind Van.

"Getting a call from the Defense Force." Bit reported as the Team gathered on the border to District 24, "Looks like those anomalies are really wrecking stuff up. They're being forced to split into four groups retreating to different areas of the district."

"Then that's what we'll do." Van affirmed, "Sounds like the anomalies are acting independently anyway, keep the comm connected in case anyone hears anything."

"After what we've been through, these four don't sound that bad."

"We'll just have to see." Roger said to Simon, "Mecha Rangers, move out!" As Big O marched into the District, Liger Zero leapt and bounded on top of buildings as Lagann sped into a rapid dash while Escaflowne leapt up and was gone, a single feather was all that was left.

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24...what used to be Downtown**

"Bought time you woke up." The boy never went to sleep in the first place. He just didn't feel like getting up after having to pull a glowing lance from his head and all the other stuff that popped out.

"Eri..." He hated it when Eri sat next to his head and just looked down. It was too cute and borderline kid's stuff, "What the hell happened?" Finally standing up, the boy realized that he was standing in a desolate square and explosions were going off in four different directions.

"No wonder the Feds want your head." Eri rubbed her hand through the boy's head as if there were cat ears hidden there somewhere, "If it had been mine then it wouldn't have been this bad."

"I didn't see you doing anything..." A few feet away, their blue robot was polishing the boy's moped while reading a war-time playboy edition.

"Except for keeping you and Kanti from getting killed?" The girl asked before walking off from the boy, "You're welcome by the way."

"What should I do to thank you?" Eri immediately stopped and produced a black guitar that she swung at the boy, who blocked caught it with his left hand, "Really? What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"A kid." Eri giggled while the boy grumbled and went into an abandoned cafe, "Shouldn't we go help out those people in the mecha?"

"Nah...I'm sure they have this covered, Ninamori." The boy told Eri as they grabbed some Snapple from the fridge inside and helped themselves. Though Ninamori was enjoying her drink better than the boy did, "Who the hell makes Spicy Apple Juice?"

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24 North Market**

"Please don't tell me..." Liger seconded Bit's annoyance when their target hoped closer to their position. The entire area was now littered with broken apart GM's and debris, when Bit first came to the scene he believed that there was reason to be completely afraid. But now he just unconsciously disbelieving of what he identified on his targeting computed, "Yes Liger...We're being confronted by a grasshopper." Aforementioned green insect impacted the ground in front of Liger, creating a large crater in it's wake as Liger simply growled.

"I know sir! But trust me..." A nearby GM pilot breathed through the comm as Liger half-heartedly roared at the mechanical insect, "It's not just the grasshopper!"

"Is that someone riding on it?" Bit asked when he noticed a small figure perched atop the large grasshopper. The man was wearing a trenchboat, but Bit could make very insect-like features on the man such as antennae and green skin.

"Jean-Henri Fabre...at your service." The man introduced as the grasshopper's wings wildly flapped out of their sheaths and a swarm of bees emerged that swarmed Liger, but much to the Zoid's annoyance, did no harm.

"Who?" Still confused about just who he was facing, Bit was caught unawares when the Grasshopper charged through the swarm, flipped backwards and kicked Liger beneath the face, sending the zoid flipping onto it's back in frustration. "Fine! This is someone I should know! I flunked my history class alright!" Liger rolled back onto it's feet and began to bite and claw at the swarm that now surrounded it and obscured Bit's sight, but with no success.

"Well don't look at me!" The GM pilot cried while he subtlely fell back from the scene, "I cheated my way through!" Though it only had one leg, that didn't stop the GM from falling back to where the rest of his crew had fled, leaving Bit and Liger all by themselves.

"Hold on Liger..." Bit opened up the channel to see Leena playing a game about a dragon age and having to fight zombie orcs after drinking Hawaiian punch. Yeah, Bit didn't any appeal that kind of game would have, "Hey Leena!"

"Just got your text." Leena stated over Liger's comm while he was rocked when Liger ran into a wall, this swarm had yet to let off, "Jean-Henri Fabre?"

"Yeah, who the hell is that?" Bit grimaced when he felt the grasshopper land on Liger's back and and jump off, forcing the zoid down on it's underside while he growled in frustration.

"Born in Saint Leons in 1823, Jean-Henri Fabre is renowned for his popularization of the study of natural history involving insects, also known as entomology." Leena read out to Bit as Liger failed to connect his claw with the grasshopper's face, "Although a reclusive amateur with no scientific training, he was an acute observer of insect behavior and is credited with setting the standards of observational patience and accuracy that were adopted by all subsequent investigators including Charles Darwin."

"So this guy helped prove evolution?" Bit asked as Fabre's swarm parted to reveal a red stinger that struck Liger in the side of the neck and exploded. The explosion wasn't fatal, but it had damaged Liger's right optic and would hinder manueverability in the right leg, "Wonderful!"

"Why did you wanna know?"

"I'm fighting him right now." Leena's whistled as Bit overlooked the damage that Liger had just sustained and forced himself to smile, "Crazy right?" This was just another challenge for the Zoid's pilot. Sure, Fabre had the full advantage in manueverability and that cloak of locusts and bees had yet to let up despite the explosion. But Bit was confident the he would find a way to win.

After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24 South Park**

"Wait..." Roger arrived at the Southern District Park to a scene he did not expect, "The anomaly stole a gm?" Standing before Big-O was a navy blue GM surrounded by several other battered or totaled Defense Force Units. Unlike the others, this GM was armed with a single beam saber and apparently drew static electricity into it's legs somehow.

"It's worse than that sir!" Eleanor, one of the few GM pilots still standing reported, "It's some kind of...electric battery samurai hacker! He just...threw out the pilot, wired himself into the cockpit and...started shooting stuff out of the gm!"

"What stuff?" Roger's question was answered when the GM emitted an electric aura that stopped a hail of bullets shooting it from behind and it's left. As Roger watched, the electric charge evaporated the halted bullets and surged out towards the attackers, disabling the two groups of GMs and causing the lights to go out in the adjacent buildings before they collapsed, "That explains the blackout...all units fall back! This isn't first time I've played with wires."

"I'm sure it isn't, Negotiator." The hacker stated from the stolen GM's comm, "Forgive my rudeness, I merely read the files in this gm's mainframe. I am Hiraga Gennai."

"You're an obscure legend in Japan." Roger remarked, "Found notes on an electric generator from Holland and then replicated the technology and brought it to Nagasaki during the Edo period."

"So my exploits are not unknown." Gennai mused as the GM's beam saber emitted an electrical charge that surged through a nearby building and caused it to crumble, "I am flattered."

"I must return the sentiment." Roger stated as he readied Big-O, "It's pretty rare to have a dead man call me by my profession."

"Honestly, it was just a memory that popped up in my mind." Roger's eyes widened when he realized exactly what the man was talking about, he heard Gennai chuckle as the man continued, "Funny thing about memories, you just never know if it's one you simply forgot or one that was never yours to begin with...but you know all about that don't you, Negotiator? Or is that simply your current avatar...Tom?"

"Who the hell are you working for!" Roger roared as Big-O thrust it's fist into Gennai's GM, only to have it impact against it's powerful electrical field as sparks began to cover the Megadues' arm...

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24 Corporate Sector**

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that he could fly?" Van demanded as Escaflowne swiped it's sword to propel concentrated air pressure in the direction of a dark brown aerial glider emitting steam. To Van's frustration, the glider maneuvered out of the way and allowed the attack to slice a nearby building in half.

"Sir...we were busy surviving sir!" Lieutenant Karen of the Defense Force yelled to the Fanelian King as he and several GM's rushed to keep up with their aerial target, "He's very agile while in flight and he's also capable of dropping bombs on us."

"Bombs? What kind of bombs?" Van asked as he observed the brown glider drop a pair of small pin shaped objects down onto it's pursuers. Though settle, Van recognized the scent of their composition as one tapped onto Escaflowne's shoulder, "Oh...that kind." A powerful explosion erupted from the objects and bloomed within the area, shrouding Van's vision and throwing Escaflowne off balance. While this fire attack was not the most powerful attack the guymelef had ever suffered, it's spontaneous nature and violent expansion caught the Fanelian King off of his guard.

"Are you alright sir?"

"I'll live." Van assured the lieutenant as Escaflowne slowly stood up and the King of Fanelia picked up a strange transmission that he couldn't understand, "What is he saying?"

"He's speaking German...hang on, let me write down what he's saying." One of the GM pilots, a younger boy by the name of Michael volunteered as Otto maneuvered between two buildings to avoid the Defense Force's fire.

"Could you be quick about it?" Van didn't want to be pushy, but discephering this glider's language could be the key to understanding how to defeat him, who he was, and why he was there.

"Got it!" Michael yelled, "His name's Otto Lilienthal...pioneer of human flight."

"Who is that?" Van had no idea as to whether or not that name had any meaning. He had to sit through several of Hitomi's history classes, but he never heard about a "German" by this name. The only ones he knew about were the Nazis, Oscar Schiendler and the Inglorious Bastards.

"A renowned pioneer in human gliding technology..." Michael explained to Van, "From the 19th century..."

"Bizarre..." What magic allowed for the revival of the long-deceased? Van threw that question to the back of his head as he watched Otto glide back towards him. Readying Escaflowne's sword, Van focused on the incoming pioneer.

* * *

**Angel Groove District 24 Residential Complex**

"Found my unit!" Simon called out when Lagann slid through the vacant street. He then started running towards a group of battered Defense Force GMs, "Guys, what's going?"

"Hey! It's Simon!" One of the pilots called out, "Thank the Lord! We're safe-" The comm cut out when a red pole swung through the GMs legs and caused them to topple down as a yellow blur flipped over the mobile suits and landed in front of the now confused Simon.

"Is that...a buddhist priest?" The Digger asked as he observed that he was up against a monk robed in yellow and wielding a red pole, "Hey! How come I got the easy-" Simon was cut off when the same red pole from earlier slammed into Lagann's side and threw the gunman into an adjacent building before another red blur smacked into the gunman's underside and fired it into the air.

"So easy to you now, young man?" The priest asked as Simon felt Lagann fly higher and higher into the sky.

"Cool! You can extend your pole that long?" Simon excitedly asked as he saw that the priest was rising on level with Lagann and standing upon his also rising pole, "How high up are we?" Looking around, Simon realized that he was higher than the clouds themselves. It reminded him of when he first escaped Jeeha Village with Kamina and Yoko. This was the epitome of freedom, nothing to safeguard the descent, but that's what made it all the more exciting, because this was life.

"It matters not, you will not be this high for much longer..." In his excitement, Simon almost forgot about the man who had tossed him into this high altitude.

"Why not-" The priest grabbed the pole and pulled out from under him as both continued to rise. As the priest brought the pole into both hands and raised it over his head, Simon instantly realized what was about to happen, "Oh..." The pole slammed down into Lagann's face, propelling it into a madly rapid descent back down through the sky. Though from his previous height, the world looked like a map, it was now becoming dangerously more detailed and full, right up to the point where Lagann impacted the earth.

"I will indulge you with my name." Simon heard the Monk state as his pole retracted and brought the man down level with a leaning building, "In my own land, I was named Hsuan tsang. But in other lands, they call me Genjo Sanzo." Lagann stood back up, though scratched this wasn't the worst attack that the mini-gunman had ever suffered. Though the ripple-effect of Lagann's crash did damage several nearby blocks.

"Who?" Unamused, Genjo swiped his pole into Lagann, launching it into the bottom of the building behind him and caused the structure to collapse on top of the young boy as Genjo brought the pole over his shoulders and shot a stream of fire out of his mouth that expanded over the general area he had thrown Simon...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Why the hell are these obscure historical figures attacking Angel Groove? How did they get there in the first place? Will the only partially recovered team manage to pull through?**

**What? I'm not telling you know, you'll have to read the next chapter to find that out.**

**This one's a bit shorter than usual, but hope you still enjoy it.  
**

**Also, as of yesturday, this series will have been around for a full year. The only one's I have to thank for this are all of you readers and reviewers. Thank you  
**


	8. Blow through the Cloud

**Residence of the Negotiator, Skyline District**

"That's really good Annie." Nia complimented the little girl after the two finished a song on the large piano, "You're almost as good as Simon." Nia giggled, seeing as that Annie had wanted to teach Nia how to play when she learned that she didn't know how.

"Thank you Miss Nia!" Annie smiled and turned to her mother, "Mommy can Miss Nia play another song with me?"

"Of course Annie, if Nia doesn't mind." Dorothy answered without taking her eyes from the book she read, "I must thank you and Nia again."

"It is no problem Mrs. Smith." Hikari noted as Annie started playing a softer song than earlier, one with a more relaxing tone perfect for studying.

"Dorothy will be just fine Miss Horaki." Mrs. Smith told the young school girl, "Or do you prefer Hikari?"

"Hikari is just fine, ma'am." Hikari returned the favor as a door opened and another guest entered the living room, "Hey Leena."

"What's up Hikari?" Leena Tauros asked when she entered, now wearing a black dress that she regarded questionably, "I complained at first, but black really goes well with my hair."

"Easy for you to say..." Hitomi at the counter admitted as played around with her tarrot cards, "I feel like I'm going to someone's funeral..."

"The usual sentiment then." Norman dully commented, "Mistress Dorothy and Miss Leena, I must inform you that Master Roger and Mr. Cloud will be late to dinner tonight."

"Yeah...where do all these guys come from?"

"Presumably the same place as most others..." Norman answered as if bored of having to deal with giant monsters and other stuff that Roger had to fight.

"Thank you Norman." Dorothy said to her butler as he sat in a chair and wrote in his journal, "You as well?"

"He's a King of Fanelia, first into the charge and the last to leave it." Hitomi stated, completely unworried that her fiancee was likely in a battle to the death as they spoke.

"Isn't that the motto of the Kings of Narnia, mommy?"

"The Fanelian Kings adopted the code to honor them Annie."

"Oh..." Annie smiled without missing a note on the piano, "Like how daddy lets mommy wear red to make her happy."

"Red?" It was hard to notice at first, but the girls soon noted that Dorothy's dress was indeed a darker shade of red, "Oh...a really dark shade of red...cleaver."

"My husband can be a loush at times..."

"That's men, they're all hopeless..." Hitomi stated while Nia and Hikari switched places on the Piano to give the white-haired girl a break.

"Simon isn't hopeless..."

"Don't worry about it Nia," Hikari assured Nia, "It's just a phase they're in in, that's all."

"Oh...a phase..." Leena hummed to herself, "How about your little phase with Mr. Ikari?" Just then, the rythemic harmony fell into chaos.

"What?" Annie watched as Hikari lost her tract and stopped playing when she couldn't get her self back in sync, "What are you talking about?"

"Rising body temperature, abnormal pheremone level...increasing breath and..." Dorothy listed off as Hikari's face became redder, "Rising pulse, it's clear as day."

"Why are you embaressed?" Nia asked when she noticed Hikari's tomato red face, "Is there something wrong with liking Shinji? I like Simon and I'm not embarrressed."

"Guys..." Hikari shook before she calmed down and composed herself, "He's out of my league anyway...He's the type who'd probably want some exotic chick or...a fiery red-head...not some plain class representative..."

"What does plain mean mommy?"

"Plain is a woman without anything unique or special about them." Dorothy explained to her daughter, "A fictional term created to instill insecurity no doubt..."

"Plain?" Hitomi laughed as she remembered those days in her life, "I was "plain" too and I'm now the fiancee of the King of Fanelia..."

"And you can see into the future with 70% accuracy..." Leena pointed out, "So you probably knew I was going to say that!"

"I didn't say I did." Hitomi innocently stated, "But when you leave, try taking the elevator this time around."

"Besides...he did think you were really nice."

"What?" Hikari said when Nia's comment somehow managed to reply in her ear, "Don't lie Nia..."

"But I'm not lying...After that movie, he talked about when he first met you and thought you were a scary...what did he say..."

* * *

_**flashback**_

"Stuck-up stiffler for the rules..." Nia giggled while Shinji talked about his classmate from Japan, "I swear, me and Toji used to see her interrogate teachers on being too lax! When we laughed about it, she made us take over as janitors for the whole week!"

"That doesn't sound nice..." Nia commented, even though she didn't exactly understand why cleaning for a week would be bad, but Shinji was a pilot. What if the angels attacked his home but he couldn't fight because Hikari was forcing him to clean?

"It's just her job...outside of school, she's actually pretty nice." Shinji continued, "She even let me borrow one of the music sheets for my cello...I still have it, I need to return soon..."

"Bro would call her a keeper then," Simon stated, "Got her number?"

"Yeah..." Nia noticed Simon smirk when Shinji answered and for whatever reason, Shinji started blushing, "It's not like that..."

"I didn't say anything..."

"I thought Hikari is a keeper?" Nia asked, "Don't you want to go on another date with her?"

"Yeah she's a-" Shinji caught what Nia said and his blush became darker, "This wasn't a date!"

"A boy taking a girl out to have fun by themselves," Nia said while Shinji's face turned more red, "Isn't that what Kamina calls a date?"

"Uh..." Simon bit on his Drill Core while he pondered the question, "Pretty much..."

"Simon!"

* * *

**Present**

"He's...he doesn't want to be bothered with me." Hikari blinked and placed both hands in her lap, "Besides, he's the pilot of Evangelion, trying to protect the world from the Angels."

"But why?" Annie asked, "I thought angels were good people sent by God to protect us."

"Oh no! Not those angels..." Hikari always saw something like this happening, little children being scared because they would think God was sending evil demons down to kill everyone.

"Annie...these are actually monsters that pretend to be angels, but they're not." Dorothy gently explained to her daughter, "They're bad creatures that cause destruction wherever they go."

"Why not call them demons then?" Leena asked, the naming pattern of the Japanese really confused her.

"You know...that's a good question..." Hikari admitted.

"Maybe Nerv believes Heaven is against them..." Hitomi figured.

"Wouldn't be surprised with Shinji's father." The other girls paused when they noted a very uncharacteristically hateful glare in Nia's eyes, but to their relief, the glare vanished when she smiled, "Speaking of Nerv...aren't there other pilots besides Shinji?"

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say anything..." Even though Hikari remembered that the stuff Toji had told her was supposed to be classified, Annie's subtle curious kitten face was really unbeatable, "Oh screw it! There's about five others that I know about..."

"Really? Who's the competition?"

"Leena! Two boys in my class were just made pilots, Toji and Kensuke...a girl from Europe named Mari, but I haven't met her...and then there's Rei and Asuka..."

"The main rivals for Shinji's affections..."

"Will you knock it off!" Hitomi just shook her head while Hikari continued, "Rei was the first pilot and Asuka transferred to Japan shortly after Shinji came...but from what Toji told me...Asuka was transferred to Germany for some reason."

"And they're all your age?" Dorothy asked, perplexed that any military group would see children as effective pilots, "What organization employs children to pilot against the Angels?"

"Shinji told me that it's because no one else can..." Hikari said, even if she still didn't agree given what the Eva's could do to their pilots, "Only people born after...The Impact...can pilot Evas..."

"Damn..." Hitomi said, "Van told me that they only recruit young people under extreme conditions...war does horrible things to a young person's mind..."

"What Shinji?" Leena asked, "He seems like a nice kid to me."

"It's always the nice ones..." Hitomi said while Norman absently nodded in agreement, "I wouldn't be surprised about the weird dreams they have..."

* * *

**In a certain boy's psyche**

"Father!" Shinji cried out as he blew a JSF soldier into a tree and broke another soldier's neck with his bare hands, "Where is she?"

"Obey me or she dies, Shinji." Gendo, now dressed in black armor and voiced by James Earl Jones, stood just outside the circle of soldiers held up in the air by Shinji's wrath.

"Never!" Shinji threw out his arms as he levitated in the air, sending out a shockwave that tore into the soldiers and disentigrated them into white dust that blew out and covered the ground.

"Rise above this, she means nothing!" Gendo commanded as Shinji landed and brought out two glowing blue lightsabers, "So be it." Gendo lit his own lightsaber as father and son confronted one another...

* * *

**District 24 South Park**

"This is Roger, what's everyone's status?" Big-O fired another round from it's remaining arm while the other dangled useless at the Megadues' side thanks to the GM's electric charge. The same charge that had created a field capable of absorbing the full blow of Big-O's arm-cannon and allowing the bullets to bounce off of the GM's armor almost insultingly.

"Bit here...I can't see a damn thing!"

"Van present, it's pretty hard to keep up with mine."

"Can I call you guys back?"

"Here I was hoping for some backup..." Roger admitted before switching off the comm and focusing on the GM that now swung at him with it's beam saber, "Think...this guy's electrical charge doesn't come from nowhere...I have to cut off the link between him and that GM he's in." The Negotiator winced as he felt Big-O take a nasty blow to the chest, not too far from the cockpit in fact. The only way to counterattack now would be melee combat, but with that electrical field, Big-O would just render it's remaining arm useless.

"Open fire!" The concussion from a blocked artillary blast forced Gennai's gm apart from Big-O, bringing Roger's attention to the squad of hover tanks lining the street in the block next to their's.

"Dalstan?" Roger could recognize that man amongst the crowd any day, "What are you doing here?"

"Bailing your ass out!" Dalstan reported through the comm while his unit continued to open fire, "Armada called out my unit to give you some support! Problem?"

"Nope, just glad to hear that you're paying back your debt." Roger noted before he realized that Gennai was virtually uninterested in the tanks opening fire, "Keep providing covering fire, but keep back. His electric charge won't leave much of you."

"Don't worry, Roger...I've seen you in action enough to know when to stay back."

"Glad to hear..." Roger stated until he saw that not only were some of the tank shells lying in a small pile around the GM, but one shell managed to impact and explode on the mobile suit's hip, "Hold on...his electric field is...weakening?"

"This is not...honor!" Gennai cried as he swiped the GM's arm, creating an electrical current that tore through the buildings separating him from the tank division, "They who interfere in a Warrior's duel shall die!" Gennai swiped again, sending out a current of lightning that covered over a portion of the battalion tanks and destroyed them along with the buildings behind them.

Amazingly, no one was electricuted to death.

"That's it!" Noticing the charged points of the ruined buildings, the tanks shells, and the totaled tanks, Roger formed a plan, "Dalstan! Do you have any communication rods?"

"Yeah, but what-"

"I'm pulling rank! Load them into the cannons and fire them around the anomaly!" A chain burst out of Big-O's pointed hip and flew out to wrap around the GM's wrist as Roger pulled. The GM was knocked off of it's feet, but managed to keep from hitting the ground by using it's electric field to cushion it's fall and send a current through the chain and into the megadues' system.

"You better know what you're doing!" Roger heard Dalsten shout as multiple metallic rods were fired into the air and fell down into the vicinity. Roger had to admire the man's aim, he managed to line them perfectly along the street without hitting Big-O or Gennai and sometimes into the wreckage.

Perfect.

Sensing what he thought was an advantage, Gennai pulled himself along the chain. Unaware that Roger had regained functionality of his other arm. Smirking, the Negotiator popped out the arm's piston and punched the air in front of him before the piston moved back into place. The resultant controlled shockwave tore through the now weakened electrical field and into the GM's right side along with destroyed it's arm.

"Just as I thought," Roger concluded, "Your electrical abilities make you immune to metal based attacks, but...when working around metal itself, your attacks run the risk of diverting into the metal instead of your opponent. Furthermore, your field may be able to block most attacks, but once deprived of it's charge, you become more vulnerable to non-metallic attacks."

"Coward..." Gennai spat as the GM weakly stood, "You resort to trickery in order to defeat me? Perhaps you are not the warrior that I thought you would be..."

"You are completely correct," Roger admitted while fixing his tie, "I'm not a warrior, who preys on the weak and finds satisfaction in bloodshed, nor am I a soldier who protects the innocent, mostly from warriors. I am a parent and Negotiator. As a Negotiator, I quell conflicts before they claim more lives and ensure solutions that make every party as happy as possible. But as a parent, I can also concede that there is a time when there is no way to make everyone happy. So who's happiness do I work for? That of my family. And right now, you're too dangerous to allow to walk freely or to fight at your full destructive potential. You might hate me when I send you back to the other side, but I can live with that. That's what parent's do, we live with the hatred of the world on our back until our child is old enough to face themselves!"

With the court in his favor, Roger pulled on the chain to propel the damaged GM forward. The mobile suit attempted one final move, positioning it's saber forward as the distance closed. Unfortunately, the rods were doing their job and depowered the weapon mere seconds before Big-O's fist slammed into it's chest.

Roger moved the fist up to propel the GM into the air before blowing out his piston, ignoring the electric glare that sparked out from the damaged GM as the piston shot back forward. The resultant blast blew the mobile suit in half and caused it's pieces to catch fire as it fell to the damaged street below.

Looking for answers, Roger opened the hatch to Big-O and leapt out onto the street, using a grappling hook to swing himself along the megadues' leg and keep from breaking his legs. The Negotiator searched through the area, finally spotting what was once the GM cockpit, the hatch was open and on the ground before it was a dying man torn from his appropriate era.

"I confess," The samurai clearly spoke, his body fading away into specs of dust. Roger approached the dying warrior and knelt down to his face, even in defeat the warrior was somewhat tranquil, "You speak as a negotiator, but I see in you now the spirit of a Guardian. For my previous words, I ask forgiveness."

"Accepted," Nodding his head and laughing softly, Hiraga Gennai fell still on the ground, his body faded into dust picked up by the wind. Roger exhaled as the scene unfolded before him and pulled up his wrist to call HQ, "Area secure."

* * *

**District 24 Residential Complex**

"Keep it up Lagann!" Simon coached his gunman as it's drill-covered hands rapidly clashed with the graceful dance of the monk, Genjo Sanzo, "How the hell is he moving so fast?"

"You are powerful young one..." Genjo complemented as his staff became sheathed in fire, "If not for my compulsion to destroy you, you would have made an excellent apprentice..."

"Compulsion?" Lagann blocked the incoming attack and answered with his own, "You're being controlled?"

"I am aware that I have been revived against my will..." Sanzo pointed out as he blocked one of Lagann's drills with his fist, "But I am unable to cease my attacks...please forgive me." Said fist then chopped into Lagann's drill and shattered it.

"How can a dead guy be controlled?" Simon asked, confused about this whole fight or how this guy was so impossibly durable, "Why haven't you fought it then?"

"I cannot." Sanzo sadly admitted, "Death is the only thing that can release me now..."

"You sure?" Simon wasn't really sure if this would count as a real fight since the man clearly was being forced to fight, "I didn't know that you could kill a dead man."

"Yes...you possess the Spiral." Genjo noted peacefully after ducking underneath one of Lagann's attacks, "Think of me as merely an obstacle to your rise young man...nothing more..."

"Alright sir!" Lagann increased the speed of it's drilled punches while Genjo twirled his staff in front of him to block the attacks before breathing out a torrent of fire that was propelled by his staff-improvised as a fan and blown into Lagann's direction. The gunman, though blackened, was mostly undamaged except for the broken drills on it's arms, "Oh come on! Is your staff unbreakable?"

"Yes, yes it is." Sanzo answered as Simon whistled at how badly damaged his drills were, "I must apologize for you having to face this weapon."

"Like you said...it's just another obstacle in my way!" Lagann ditched the broken drills and began to roll in place. Genjo slammed down his staff just as the gunman began a high speed roll in the monk's direction and inevitably clashed with the staff.

"Impossible..." Despite it's increased length, the monk was stunned when his weapon failed to halt Lagann's rapid roll and broke his staff.

"Thanks, cause that's what I do!" Lagann spun around and punched Sanzo full-on in the stomach, sending the monk flying into a parked car, "Kick reason to the curb and do the impossible! That's the Gurren Brigade's motto...DAI-GURREN BRIGADE!"

"I see...I salute you then and wish you luck on your rise, Spiral Warrior."

"The name's Simon the Digger!" Simon punched the drill core formed into his console as he prepared for a move he'd been working on, "Finishing Move: SPINN ONNN!" The Drill Core spun as large drills formed along Lagann's arms before they were slammed together to form a bigger drill that had smaller drills portruding out of it as it was hauled over Lagann's head.

In response, Genjo summoned a torrent of fire that engulfed it's restored staff when he held it over his own head, allow the staff to rapidly lengthen up and beyond the sky itself. The monk spun around his staff and leapt up along it's long shaft as Lagann charged forward. Somewhere in space, Genjo appeared on the other side of his staff and summoned all of his spiritual ki to his palm before slamming the palm into the staff and pulling back the staff and thrusting it down with the force of a thousand hurricanes.

Genjo's eyes widened when he saw a green spiralling drill dig it's way through Genjo's legendary staff as the small boy had gathered his own power.

"So small..." Genjo mused as the red gunman broke through the staff and punched the monk in the face with it's bare fist, "And so...powerful..."

* * *

**District 24 Corporate Sector**

"This is getting us nowhere!" Van cried as Escaflowne furled out it's cape to clear away the cloud of debris obscuring it's vision, "As long as I'm on the ground, he'll have the advantage!"

"Wie gut ist ein Schwert, wenn Sie Ihren Feind nicht erreichen können? (German: What good is a sword if you cannot reach your foe?)" Van heard the German Pioneer, Otto Lillienthal mockingly inquire as his glider soared across the sky above Escaflowne.

"Why doesn't this translator work both ways!" Escaflowne slashed horizontally when the glider came within reach, but the pilot veered the steam powered contraption down and spun to avoid the attack, "I knew Bit's little gadget wouldn't help!" Another grenade dropped to the guymelef's leg and enshrouded Escaflowne in another explosion.

"Schweigen Sie plötzlich und tragen Sie, Sklave des Ernstes halten! (German: Fall silent and yield, slave of gravity's hold!)

"Shut up!" Van honestly didn't care if this man understood him, the pilot's arrogance was starting to anger him and divert his focus. "Sargeant Foley! If able, disrupt the path of his flight!"

"Got it sir!" Van heard the DF Sargeant reply, "Ramirez! Use the Predator Drone and try to keep it busy!"

"We have one of those-"

"Ramirez don't argue with me!" Now Van was curious about this "predator drone", "Your Highness, you might want to clear out soon."

"Why? What is this Predator Drone?" Hearing Bit's gadget beep, Van pushed one of it's buttons to show the black and white view of a city...with Escaflowne inside of it. When the screen started zooming in on the brown blur closing in on Escaflowne, Van quickly put two and two together and had Escaflowne jump up...

"Direct hit!" Ramirez shouted when the Predator missile impacted the square of the district. But his joy didn't last when the glider flew out of the cloud of debris, "Oh that is some bull-" Otto Lilienthal's glider dropped another grenade before Ramirez could finish. The private picked up a rocket launcher and fired, but his attack never came close to the speeding glider.

"Was?(German:What?)" The German pilot asked when he saw the missile explode harmlessly to his left, "unglaublich!(German: Unbelievable!)"

"Did you believe the sky was your playground alone?" The King of Fanelia cried out from atop his newly transformed Escaflowne, "I have flown since I was a boy!"

"Sie können fliegen? (German: You can fly?)" Otto increased his speed as the predator now saw the roles reverse and it was now the prey running from this archaic dragon.

"He can fly?" Shiro Armada asked in denial and shock. Why didn't he do this anytime earlier?

"Van can fly?" Roger noticed when he saw the scene from inside his cockpit.

"Ha! He can fly!" Bit laughed despite the tight spot he was in.

"You can fly!" Simon excitedly cried like a little boy who'd just seen Peter Pan.

"He can fly?" A jealous Leena yelled in outrage and reluctant awe when she heard the news.

"He can fly!" Annie said joyfully to her mother now that her imagination had just been sparked.

"He can fly..." Hitomi romantically related to her group, blushing while she thought of all those times her fiancee carried her through the sky...

"You can fly!" cried Peter Pan when he zipped over the scene and clapped for another fellow flier.

"He can fly? Big f&%(in deal!" Kaiba yelled over the comm, apparently very annoyed when everyone reacted to Escaflowne's flight mode. So what? It was blue eyed or white, so what was the big deal? "You can fly! Take him out of the sky!"

"As you wish!" Van steered Escaflowne and watched as the German Glider increased it's speed when the Dragon-formed guymelef bore down on the steam powered contraption. Just as Escaflowne began to catch up and overtake the glider, Lilienthal dropped a grenade out that flew into the dragon's mouth and exploded. Though the attack caused the dragon to lose some elevation, Van quickly focused and allowed the guymelef to fly back on course.

"So das, warum die Taube neben des Falken nicht fliegt...(German:So this why the pigeon does not fly beside the falcon...)" Otto stated as Escaflowne flew over the german glider, "Kleinere Vögel werden durch das größere verschlungen- (German: Smaller birds are devoured by the larger-)" The Pioneer was shaken when Van's ancient war machine rammed the top of the glider and grabbed it in it's claws.

"Bird? Birds don't drop powerful grenades on people!" Van corrected as Escaflowne tightened it's grip on the delicate glider and lowered it's elevation, "You are a dragon! And guess what the Kings of Fanelia do to dragons?"

"Sie töten sie (German: You kill them)..." Faster than you could say crash landing, Escaflowne lowered to ground level, dragging the glider through the dirt as it roared and lowered down it's skull to clamp it's jaws over the front of the glider. Bringing up it's jaw to cease it's flight, the guymelef parted it's claws and ripped the glider in half, momentarily allowing an explosion to engulf it before it flapped it's wings and blew out the reaction.

"Have you any last words?" Van asked when he found Lilienthal underneath a piece of his glider and lifted the piece of burning wreckage from on top of the man.

"I envy you...dragon slayer," Otto confessed before spitting out blood, "To invent an airplane is nothing. To build it, a beginning. To fly...is-" Before his words could be finished, Otto Lilienthal's body stiffened and fell silent, blowing away as his life ended.

"Though a man of pride...he never forgot his true passion..." Van watched the last of the pioneer fade away with the wind, his life's work, crumbled into ashes soon after, "Foe vanquished..."

* * *

**District 24 North Market**

"Come on Liger!" Bit coached as his viewscreen remained covered by the swarm of bees, "We've gotta get this swarm off of us!" Recovering from another attack by Jean-Henri Fabre's grasshopper, Bit fired another round into the swarm, but like before it did nothing to even dent the group of bees.

"Major Cloud?" Bit heard over the comm, "We're the reinforcements you called for! What are your orders?"

"I called for you guys?" Bit asked as he felt that grasshopper push Liger down into the ground again, "So that's what this button is for...what do you guys have?"

"Just the standard equipment," The pilot replied, "And a prototype incindiary cluster rocket launcher, but it's not exactly tested-"

"See the swarm?" Bit had no idea as where these guys were, but he had to get this swarm off of him somehow, "Fire into it!"

"Sir yes sir!" Bit could not tell as to where this attack would come from but decided to start counting anyway...

"5...4...3...2...1..." Immediately picking up his pilot's intent, Liger leapt into the swarm with it's claws glowing and gun blazing. Bit watched as a sudden wave of fire engulfed both Liger and the swarm as the zoid continued it's jump and landed in front of a group of GM's, "Thanks for the help!" Bit called out to the nearest GM that had just bailed him out of the now scorched and scattered swarm of insects.

"No problem sir!" Ensign Udaki reported in as Fabre's grasshopper leapt up on top of a nearby parking lot, "Besides, you had that whole thing planned...you knew that we would have incindiary rounds and would be quick enough to dodge when we fired in the area around you. But those insects didn't catch on until it was too late, leaving them dead and you free to engage Fabre..."

"What?"

"No way..." Udaki could not believe it... "No way was that a fluke..."

"I asked myself the same question all the time..."

"Brad?" Bit asked, recognizing the voice instantly, "What the hell are you doing here!"

"The Defense Force called for volunteers, so I signed up." Brad answered as Liger dodged the Grasshopper's red stinger and fired a round from it's undermounted cannons, "Besides, I've gotta pay for that new thruster on Shadow Fox somehow!"

"Sure...in it for the money..." Bit said unconvinced while the Grasshopper emitted a strange sonic boom from it's anteanne that nearly knocked Liger off balance, "Would've been nice if you'd have brought the Fox out!"

"And spend money on repairs?" Brad asked while Liger leapt upon the Grasshopper but hit the street since the grasshopper managed to dodge, "Maintenance is enough of a pain in the ass! Can't wait till Tauros gets into town though."

"Dr. Tauros?" Liger roared when Fabre avoided yet another one of it's strikes, "Why's he coming into town?"

"Not to spy on you and Leena," Brad assured as Fabre landed on top of Liger and pushed it down again when it leapt up, "There was an open position at development, so he took it. At least until the Season reopens."

"Strike Laser Claw!" It's claws enlightened by hot energy, Liger Zero leapt up just as the grasshopper did and ripped it's front paws through the grasshopper's underbelly, effectively tearing the insect in half as Liger landed, "Alright buddy! Now let's see about the rider!"

"Incredible!" Udaki said while the Defense Force cheered, "He timed his Liger's leap to be able to counter the grasshopper's jump! He must have known that the grasshopper would jump higher, so he adapted and calculated exactly when his jump would meet with Fabre's and take him out!"

"Or it was a fluke..."

"No...F%^ing...way!"

"He...molted?" Bit observed while climbing out of Liger Zero to give his partner a rest, "Looks like he had antennae for a reason..." Parts of the grasshopper still twitched, but Bit was sure that the creature was down.

"I am dreadfully sorry for the mess..." The now young Fabre apologized as Bit came closer to his downed foe.

"Don't worry about it...you didn't kill anyone..." Bit assured the young boy, even though the boy wasn't showing any damage, Bit almost sensed that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Oh thank God..." Jean-Henri smiled as he slowly stood up and took in his surroundings, "This place...it is beautiful..."

"Yeah...it is..." With the buildings around them trashed or downright destroyed, their view of a nearby garden was unobstructed. If Bit recalled correctly, it was one of the "farm gardens" that Kaiba had grown to make the city more "self-sustained." Mainly to cut down on foreign reliance and gain more money, but Bit knew that there was more to it.

"A marvelous place...to make a garden..." Fabre inhaled and lost his footing, Bit managed to catch him in time as his pulse weakened, "But what...kind of...plant...would grow...here?"

"Whichever kind can." Giving a final nod, Fabre smiled before he fell still and began to fade in the wind, "Tango down, I repeat: Tango down."

* * *

**District 24 Downtown**

"Told ya they'd be alright." The boy told Ninamori as they sat on the top of the abandoned restaurant and watched the explosions in the distance, "But we're still stuck in this town..."

"Heard that Kaiba gives out housing to orphens and etc..." Ninamori brought up without moving her head from the boy's lap.

"Doubt it'll be that easy..." The boy thought out loud, "Did you see the security coming in? Anyone who wasn't a kid had a gun on them the whole time! You really think that the people here will give us the keys to our own apartment if we ask?"

"Kanti already did." On the side of the roof, the aforementioned robot was taking pictures of the couple, much to the boy's annoyance, "This sounds like a good place to crash for now anyway...nothing interesting ever happens around here, Naota."

"See now you just jinxed it!"

"You jinxed it by suggesting that we should come here!"

"Come here? I said that we should just pass through!"

"Pass through? That's why we've been here for the past week, right?"

"Can you blame me for taking advantage of perfectly good beds that are abandoned?"

"Just admit it! You like it here!"

"Oh quit it! That's kid's stuff!" Kanti just watched the two teens argue, not worried because the robot knew where this was going to lead. They would fight for about an hour and then start making out and maybe a few things that Kanti will wisely leave the two alone to do or get one of the two guitars smashed into it's head.

Hang on...they stopped arguing...seeing the early beginning of their "make-up", Kanti jumped off the roof to find a library.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Good job...you've defeated an electric samurai, a chinese monk, a steam-powered jet glider, and an insect-man riding a grasshopper..." Kaiba read off, completely unimpressed, "If anyone asks, come up with tougher and cooler monsters that you fought."

"Like what?" The Fanelian King inquired, appearing to have been offended by Kaiba's suggestion.

"I don't know...Mecha-Streisand?"

"That's kind of harsh..."

"Got any better ideas?" Hearing none, Kaiba continued with his orders, "Report back to HQ and then that'll be a day."

"Why can't we go home?" A tired Simon asked, "What more could you possibly want to know about this situation?"

"I call BS!" Bit shouted, "You're just looking for something else to bill us on!"

"You mean like the minutes on this call?" Yes, that always quieted any argument from these ungrateful brats, "So either get your asses over here, I'll charge by the minute while you keep arguing!"

"We'll discuss this later, Kaiba."

"Very well Negotiator," Once Roger signed off, Kaiba decided to bring up a question that had bugged Seto since the boy defeated his anomaly, "And Simon, what happened the yellow monk?"

"I don't really know..." Simon scratched his head in confusion, "I punched him and he...vanished..."

"According to this report from one of our satellites, we are literally unable to determine that," One of the bridge bunnies reported, "Except for the fact that Simon punched him out of our dimension..."

"So he's still alive?"

"I don't think he could survive being in another dimension-"

"Shut up Mokuba, that's not the point." With all of the things he had seen in the past two months, Kaiba wouldn't be surprised if that monk found a way back to this dimension.

Why doesn't anyone double-tap anymore?

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"Did I mention that I hate this f%^$in heat?"

"How about hating that we're on the run from a killer robot that can transform into a helicopter!"

"Who's bright idea was it to hold our fire?"

"How was I supposed that we'd be fighting some killer robot that can fire plasma waves, hack our network, and kick our asses? This is some bullshit man!"

"Shut it!" When Maya spoke, everyone listened. Voices stilled and the entire convoy huddled into the desert sand as they watched the sky. They heard the clapping of a charging horse as the Pavelov Chopper hovered overhead, it's apparent pilot twirling that damn mustache as he surveyed the area. If they had to breath, the survivors did so very softly and quietly as their hunter kept it's altitude. Content, the Pavelov hovered away, but the survivors remained still until they were sure that it was gone, "Coast is clear."

"Why is it still around here!" For the past few days, Misato had been growing more and more nervous as the robotic hunter came in and out of sight, "Isn't it happy with this pain I'm going through?"

"You're in pain?" Toji called out from atop the covered Unit 03, "I'm still not convinced that I still have both arms! Not to mention the nightmares I'm still having!"

"That's how I was too..." Epps related, "The first time...I didn't even think it was real...Now, it feels I got pushed back into a nightmare...and it ain't going away..."

"Where to now?" Kamille inquired, truth be told, the group had simply started running during the chaos of the base destruction. The only reason that Pavelov hadn't found them was God's own mercy and apparent damage to it's optical capability.

"We head north." Misato stated as the convoy started moving out, "Find civilization, then call Nerv HQ and have them pick us up."

"Ma'am, there's nothing North of us..." One of the US soldier's pointed out, "Except of course for the North Star and-"

"You've gotta be kidding me." Another US officer shouted when he realized where else they could go, "Angel Groove? That place is a fortress!"

"Unless you know someone on the inside." Misato said to herself, "Maya? How much longer till you can get a link?"

"You mean one that "they" won't see? Two days at best."

"Two days of hide and seek with a metallic death dealer that will rip you into pieces, crush those pieces until they're on a microscopic level and then transform into a helicopter to fly-by and waste the whole area where you died to make sure nothing's left." Toji said out loud before he grunted under the trauma from the damage Unit 03 received that night, "I'm never gonna get used to this, am I?"

"What the hell is that thing after anyway?" Misato thought out loud, the machine, transformer as Epps put it, wasn't out for wanton destruction. It was looking for something, "Maya, did you figure out what it was after?"

"It hacked the whole data system in record time..." Maya replied while she continued typing away on her computer, "But it was only after files relating to Second Impact, Lillith, the Angels, and..."

"The Evas?"

"Their pilots." Maya contiuned, "You're little stunt cut off it's link before it could get locations and photographic id's..."

"Go ahead, tell me the bad news."

"It also hacked into call history..." Misato gulped, knowing full well what that meant, "If the pilots contacted anyone within two hours of the attack...it'll know who and where they are."

* * *

**District 7**

This was it. This was where his superior had sent him.

The servant leapt through the surface of this planet and landed upon the barren ground. The mechanical organism examined his surroundings intently, looking for any sign of it's objective. This area still stank with the heat of a recently concluded battle. A battle against a forced that his superior was very glad to never have to face himself.

Scorponok figured it was because his master would find the challenge boring.

Off in the distance, He could make out the lights of this fleshling civilization. It was so pitiful, yet at the same time reminded him of his true home. A home that he and his brethren would now fight to rejuvenate.

"Reedman, what is your ETA?" The servant watched as a police car appeared from the distance, the vehicle came to a halt as the mechanical organism's claws emitted a plasma glare, indicating that it's weaponry was armed.

"Officer please..." A Law enforcement officer exited the vehicle, now recognizing both the officer and the vehicle as an ally, the creature lowered it's weapons and went silent. The officer then pulled a young female fleshling from the car, "I didn't do anything wrong-"

"Silence citizen, I am an officer of the law." The officer stated apathetically, sometimes Scorponok wondered as to what was the point of personally interacting with humans? Did transforming into their vehicles and appliances not work by themselves?

"No...I'll do anything you want...just..." The blond female wrapped in a silk dress meant for "flashy" occasions gasped when she saw the mechanical representation of what fleshlings call, Scorpions, "What...what is that?" Fear, that was exactly what Scorponok meant to impose when he took this form.

"You don't need to worry about that." The female's fear only grew as the officer retrieved a pistol from his holder and aimed it at the female's face, "Return to your recon, Barricade." Having received his instructions, Barricade grumbled and drove away. Leaving Scorponok with the officer and the increasingly frantic female.

"You don't have to do this..." The female begged as she walked backwards from the gun, "I...I have a little sister...she's only five...I'm all she's got...please..."

"I am sorry for the loss your sister will endure..." The officer offered, wearing a badge that read Reedman, "But for the preservation of our race, the one must be sacrificed for the many."

"I'll do anything...anything..."

"Disgusting..." Reedman spat at the female when she started unbuttoning her clothing, "Do you honestly believe that I would want anything to do with your pathetic carbon based-liquids? Have you no dignity, fleshling?"

"Please don't shoot me!" Scorponok grew bored, with the weeping female's attention focused on Reedman, the servant crept up behind the female as his comrade lowered the pistol which wasn't even armed or real, "Thank you...oh thank you-" Scorponok was efficient. His stinger penetrated into the female's midsection of her spine, quietly injecting his paralysis toxin into her nervous system and blood stream. The female never even screamed, when the servant removed it's stinger, she fell forward on her back, her eyes still wide open and she was still conscious.

"What did you discover?" Scorponok went to work, bringing the end of it's tail over the female's legs and switching it's function to open the stinger into a maw which pressed over the female's feet and hauled her into the air.

"Here is the District where Horaki lives." Reedman's hand disformed as several metallic balls rolled along Scorponok's head and relayed the information into his system, "We've had difficulties pinpointing her exact dwelling."

"Barricade was never suited for infiltration and reconnaissance." Scorponox mused as he grumbled from a sudden complication, "Continue...you gave me a heavy one..."

"She will provide more fuel for your objective." Reedman countered as he watched the servant struggle to adjust for the female's hip size, "You do seem to enjoy this."

"It is a necessity, why not try to gather joy from it?" The machine asked as it's tail pulled in the female's abdomen up to those mounds of flesh that these female fleshlings seemed to have.

"Why should I, it's disgusting..." Reedman was glad that the female wasn't facing him as she vanished within Scorponok's maw and her form slid down into the tail, "Finished?"

"I haven't eaten...in years..." Scorponok admitted as Reedman took on his true form while Scorponok scratched the ground of this fleshling escavated area, "It will be some time before we discover Horaki...until then, I will wait and feed." With that, the servant of the Hound leapt into the soil and vanished underground, leaving no trace of what had occurred there.

Apart from the two holes in the ground, but who's going to notice that?

* * *

**Lunar Cathedral**

"It still amazes me that you've allowed this colony to flourish." Tabris related to the Spiral King sitting on the lunar hill towering over the Messenger of Free Will, "Is there no concern that they will discover what lies here?"

"No more than for them to discover what you've buried." Genome spat, Tabris smirked...even after thousands of years, the Spiral King's enmity for Tabris' brethren had not ceased. It must be lonely, watching over these powerless humans, tasked with preventing their own destruction by becoming that which they most fear, "Why did you call for my presence?"

"I desired to refer my latest toys to your judgement," The Spiral King carefully regarded the lances in Tabris' hands, one of which emitted an aura from a power that he had not felt since... "You recognize this one? To be honest, I am still debating on which one to send first..."

"Tabris, you enjoy your free will far too much."

"Ironic coming from you..." Tabris regarded the Spiral Warrior as though he were a simple guest. He held up the Lance that Genome was focused on and placed his ear to it's shaft, "Do you believe this one will react so horribly?"

"Do what you wish." LordGenome spat, "But do not cry to me when Ikari pulls your leash."

"I despise Ikari..." Tabris stated, his smile faltering from the reminder of how much of a hold Ikari had on the Messenger, "Such a small cowardly human who only seeks to escape pain."

"We will only placate the fool for as long as we must." LordGenome stated, "I believe that Ikari will allow us to break the cycle."

"True..." Tabris' smile returned as he balanced the lances in his hands, "I wonder if Shinji-kun will find happiness this time?"

"This time?" This child still had yet to outgrow his habit of peeking into other courses of time, "Don't let your mind wonder to probabilities that have long diverged from ours, keep your intentions focused in the here and now."

"Is that the only way you've been able to live with yourself?"

"Does it matter?" Genome watched as one of Tabris' lances faded and the Spiral King exhaled, realizing the Messenger's choice, "So you've decided?" The boy lightly skipped to propel himself into a soft flight off of the ground and threw the lance into space between the moon and the earth.

"This one will make things interesting..." Tabris noted as the two watched the lance break free of the moon's gravitational pull and sail into Earth's blue surface, "Does Shinji-kun not know of the other?"

"Why do you care?" Tabris' interest in the son of Ikari sickened the Spiral King, "That boy is dangerous, just like his father. A child like him was born to be alone, because when he comes to love something, heaven help the force that keeps him from what he loves."

"So you believe it best for him to be unhappy?"

"Yes." The Spiral King answered, "With love and attachment comes pain and loss...beings like Ikari and his child are unable to cope with such loss...It is best for them to accept the reality of their fates."

"What if they refuse?"

"It will change nothing." LordGenome had encountered many beings of the same kind as the Ikari's many times, their stories never ended in their favor, "The fates have been written, even the so-called gods cannot rewrite them."

"Do you speak of yourself?" Tabris inquired, "Personally, I would prefer to wait and see...something is different..."

* * *

**District 32 Outpost Sentry**

"Well...you took your damn time Johnny!"

"Got held up by traffic..." Johnny said as he put his GM into position, "All's quiet on the Western front then..."

"It's always quiet on the western front!" Johnny's partner yelled as they looked out from the wall looming over the wasteland outside of Angel Groove, "Why is it even called the Western Front when we're facing east!"

"Because whoever comes from that way will be traveling west."

"Whatever..." Bill exhaled, not up to arguing with Johnny at the moment, "I just wish something interesting would happen already!" Bill of course would get his wish when that interesting something broke through the atmosphere of the planet rocketed into the ground in front of the wall. The shockwave was only briefly felt, but it could've easily been mistaken for an earthquake.

"Did anyone else feel that?" Another pilot on the other side asked when he came up the wall, "Does anyone else see that crater?"

"Finally!" Bill switched off the safety of his GM's long-range shoulder-mounted cannons as the smoke rose from the newly created crater, "Now we can get some action!"

"You know the drill Bill..." Johnny loved raining on this guy's parade, "We're the Postmen, we call the main corp and watch from the sidelines..."

"But...that's...stupid..." Bill argued like a spoiled brat, "Since we're the ones who spotted it, we should get first dibs!"

"Tell you what." Johnny decided that the best way for the idiot to learn was to get his feet wet, "I'll call for back up and then you can shoot at whatever the hell is lying inside that smoking, molten hot, crater...cool?"

"Cool!" Johnny crouched his GM down as he started patching through to HQ. This was a bit soon after that incident in District 24, but he was just the errand boy.

"HQ, we've just had an unidentified object land just outside the city perimeter," Johnny reported in when he got a signal, that and it was hard to hear while Bill opened fire with his cannons, "I can't see much of anything, but the object hasn't made any hostile action-" A little girl started screaming and Johnny looked up to see that Bill's GM was no longer on the wall. He looked down to see his comrade get dragged into the smoke covered crater by a hand attached to a cable and before Johnny could open fire, his partner was gone.

"Correction," Johnny patched back through to HQ and watched as Bill's GM was thrown back into his position, save that the cockpit's hatch was torn out and the mobile suit was practically totaled, "It engaged and completely pummeled one of the sentry guards when provoked...checking his status now."

"I think...all of my...ribs are broken..." Bill managed to say as he weakly crawled out of the GM.

"We'll need a medical evac and some increased security." Johnny reported before closing the link and jumping out of his GM to check on his partner, a First Aid kit in hand, "Cool huh?"

"Shut up..."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Medical Ward**

"Where am I?"

"You're in your room..." Shinji now realized that Hikari was sitting in a chair next to the bed, "A guard saw you black out in the Lobby, so they brought you here to rest."

"Oh..." Shinji frowned, realizing that he had just been someone else's burden, "Hey! How are the others-"

"They're fine, they're in the Command Center getting debriefed by Kaiba." Hikari explained, Shinji managed to lightly smile assured that his new friends were alright. That they wouldn't be hurt because he was too weak to be with them.

Or maybe if he was there, then they would've been hurt because of his weakness...it didn't matter, they won and they were safe.

"Are those..."

"Nia made them," Hikari said when Shinji noticed the plate full of cookies on the table next to the window, "Everyone in Simon's team says that they're terrible, but Simon likes them...and I think they're sweet."

"Here, I'll try one..." Shinji stood up in his bed and started moving his legs to get out until... "You really don't have to..."

"Shinji, you're on Medical Leave from feeling things most people pray to never feel." Hikari reminded the Eva pilot while holding the plate in one hand and bringing it over to Shinji, "After that blackout, you shouldn't strain yourself..."

"Alright..." If it would make her feel better, then why not? Hikari sat down on his bed and hesistantly brought one of the light brown cookies to Shinji's mouth. The young man was trying so hard not to blush when he bit down on the morsel, "It's good..."

"She thought you would like them." Hikari giggled while Shinji quickly wolfed down the cookie and reached for two more. A few minutes later, Shinji reached for another, but the plate was sadly picked clean. "What is it?"

"They're almost the same..." Shinji said, when a memory came to his mind, "The same kind of cookies...mother used to make." It was true, these cookies had tasted the exact same as the one's he ate as a child. Sugar with a drop of lemon...

"I...heard about...what happened to her..." Did everyone know about his story? "It must have been hard...growing up without her..."

"Or my father..." From what Misato had told him, everyone in his class had lost their mothers...that was why they were all viable to pilot an Eva, "At least you still have your dad...and a family that loves you."

"I can't imagine that..." Hikari admitted sadly, but perked up with a smile and said, "Now I see why Nia and Simon like you so much."

"They're still kids..." Shinji didn't begrudge them for it, at least they had that luxery, "They like everyone who treats them nice."

"Exactly." Hikari pointed out, "Nice people treat people nicely, you don't get a good apple from a bad tree."

"Then what does that make me?"

"A good person...and a strong one..." Hikari finished, grabbing the boy's hand for no real reason, "At least that's how I feel."

"Thank you..." The hand...it was...soft, why was even affected? Did so few people ever grab his hand that... "Even if-"

"Major Ikari-" Startled, Hikari jumped onto Shinji when a clerk entered the room, "Oh...am I interrupting anything?"

"No! I was...just leaving..." Hikari released Shinji from her grip and stood on the floor, quickly composing herself, "I'll see you tomorrow Shinji."

"Until then, Hikari..." Shinji smiled and wave when the class rep waved back and was gone, "What is it?"

"Mr. Kaiba requests your presence in the Command Hanger."

"Which one?"

"Mokuba," The clerk answered as Shinji finished changing into his uniform, "He'll also understand if you can't make it sir."

"It's no problem." Shinji assured the employee before getting up and leaving his room. As he started down the hall, he saw a woman who resembled Ayanami holding a little boy's hand as she pushed along a baby stroller.

Just as he wondered if this was real, his body seized up for another one of his "fits". By the time the "fit" had dissipated, the small group was gone. Had Shinji truly seen them or was it...

Deciding that there was no point, Shinji shook his head and started for the Command Hanger.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Seriously though, what is with so much fiction where people go into clearly bad ideas and are surprised when it doesn't work out?**

**Quick Random Lesson: Types of Badass**

**1. Loud and in Charge- The most common type, these badasses are very boastful about their ability to kick ass and don't care who thinks that they're just being arrogant idiots. Often, this abrasive trait causes outsiders to overlook any other trait that this hero has in their advantage.  
**

**Exp: Kaiba/Kamina/Guy/Domon Kasshu/Naruto/Luffy/Vegeta/Megatron/too many anime heroes to list  
**

**2. Educated and Civilized-This badass will likely kick your ass because you pushed their limit. They tend to be wise/gentlemen-like/calm/peaceful characters who will politely warn you that you are signing your own death warrent. But when you push them, they'll push back...hard.  
**

**Exp: Roger Smith/Piccolo/Samurai Jack/Obi-Wan Kenobi/Most Jedi/Seraph  
**

**3. Downtrodden and Depreciative-These are characters who are very skilled and strong in their own right. But due to low self-esteem or a dark and troubled past, they tend to look at themselves as pathetic little bugs that don't deserve to live. Another word for them would be...Tragic Badass?  
**

**Exp: Shinji Ikari/Simon (1st half of TTGL)/Hinata Hyuga/Rock Lee/Krillin(even if he gets his ass kicked all the time)  
**

**4. Brave and the Bold- Another common type, these are characters who will set out to do what they say. Even if it's insanely impossible or if they are outmatched.  
**

**Exp: Goku/Simon (2nd half of TTGL)/Van/Optimus Prime  
**

**5. Disreactive and Silent- These badasses usually won't say that they're going to kick your ass. They just do it and call it a day.**

**Exp: Blackout/Viral/LordGenome/SS2 Gohan  
**

**6. Accidental and Extemperaneous- Badasses who seem like complete idiots or really lucky SOBs to observers; but are either faking a part of their personality to fool others or don't pay too much attention to how badass they are.  
**

**Exp: Bit/Ruronai Kenshin/Vash the Stampede/Father Abel**

**7. Calculative and Intellectual- These badasses aren't just capable of kicking your ass physically. They are also capable of stomping you mentally and tactically, either through conventional means or methods that shouldn't work but they're just so epic that they make it work.**

**Exp: Lelouch/Kira/Heero Yuy/Trieze Kushrinada/Char/Amuro Ray (eventually)  
**

**These are just a few and no one character can be labeled in just one category. For instance, Goku is would fit 6 despite mostly being a mix of 4 and 2.  
**


	9. Bending the Norm

**Diekirck, Luxembourg**

Damn ungrateful bastards!

So what if their country ceded land to Germany to pay for damages in the southern half? Or maybe it was to pay off their debts to Britannia or both.

Either way, they were rioting in the streets and creating an annoying little mess. So, the new Baroness was called upon to clear the people out and clear out the area for the Minister's plans. She acted responsibly, telling the people of Diekirck that their home had been lawfully sold and set a reasonable deadline to leave.

It had been a full week since said deadline and most of them were still here. Acting responsibly, the Baroness called in the clean-up crew.

"HELLO!" One of said members was a young man in black leather with combed white hair who now stood before the rioting masses. "Haben Sie eine große Nacht? Sieh gut ... Sie sind auf dem Eigentum meines Freunds, und Sie reisen noch nicht ab." _(Are you having a great night? See well...you're on the property of my friend and you haven't left yet.)_

Not understanding that time was up, one of the protestors approached the man expecting to be able to reason with him.

Wir haben keine Waffen. Das ist gerade nicht schön-_(We have no weapons. This just isn't fair-)_ The man gasped, a typical response to having a sword thrust through his chest and was kicked down as the young man licked the blood off the sword as he pulled it out.

"Oh Es tut mir leid, dass sagte er etwas?" _(Oh I'm sorry, was he saying something?)_ The man asked while the protestors regarded him with pure terror. The young man simply cleaned off the sword with his tongue and then licked his lips, "Wer sich sorgt, lässt kommen zum lustigen Teil!" _(Who cares, lets get to the fun part!)_ A pair of massive wings unfurled behind the young man, revealing a large dark red mecha that seemed to materialize out of thin and breathed fire from it's mouth.

Setting many protestors on fire as the young man continued to sing.

"Brennen Sie! Brennen Sie! Verbrennen Sie sie alle! Sehen Sie, dass sie schwellen und schreien! Zerquetschen Sie ihre Knochen und schlitzen Sie ihre Hälse auf! Leben ist so äußerst!" _(Burn! Burn! Burn them all! Watch them swell and scream! Crush their bones and slit their throats! Life is so extreme!")_ The young man saw that a protestor couldn't run due to a crippled leg. He regarded the young woman with mild interest as he drained a bottle of German-made beer he picked up earlier.

Then he belched out a stream of fire that lit the poor woman on fire and took a picture with his camera before walking off to continue his carnage.

"Does he do this all the time?" A nearby member of the clean up unit asked her partner. She had dreaded that violence would break out, but this was just too much.

"Yeah..." Her senior-sargeant replied wearily, "Dilandau...where did our lovely Baroness pick up this piece of work."

"Brennen Sie! Brennen Sie! Verbrennen Sie sie alle! Sehen Sie, dass sie schwellen und schreien! Zerquetschen Sie ihre Knochen und schlitzen Sie ihre Hälse auf! Leben ist so äußerst!" Now the protestors were dispersed and the next part of their job commenced. Show the locals that this wasn't their home by destroying anything that could be mistaken for one.

"We need him...why?" The pilot thoughtlessly had her Gareth ignite it's equipped flamethrower and open fire on a nearby hospital. Fortunately, it was long since abandoned so the chance for casualties were low.

"Orders from the top..." The sargeant replied, "He's supposed to be part of some new special forces unit forming in North Germany."

"People! Wicked Bitch of the West approaching!" Another pilot cried out as a large tall mecha landed in their midst, it's two pairs of green eyes glowed brightly in the night time blaze.

"Right!" The Sargeant whispered and started firing indiscriminately into wreckage as the Baroness passed through, "We're very busy and productive! Yes! We love being worked like slaves and not getting overtime!"

"Was nimmt so lange?" _(What is taking so long?)_ The baroness demanded of the sargeant from within her mecha.

"Baronin, die Leute haben sich ergeben und ihre Waffen aufgestellt-" (Ger: Baroness, the people have surrendered and laid down their weapons-)

"Ich sorge mich nicht, ob sie sich ergeben haben! Sie sind noch hier!" _(I don't care if they've surrendered! They're still here!)_

"Baronin-"

"Sie sehen, was er tut?" _(You see what he's doing?)_ The young girl pointed to the Red Dragon mecha as it fired it's flames indiscriminately into both crowds and buildings, "Irgendjemand, der nicht bereits aus der Proposition ist, könnte ebenso weggewischt werden!" _(Anyone who isn't already out of the premise might as well be wiped out!)_

"Natürlich... Baronin der Gnädigen Frau." _(Of Course...Madame Baroness.)_

"Stichwortgeber... Ich dachte, dass ich sie alle hinten verließ, aber ich glaube, dass sie überall an diesen Tagen sind..". _(Stooges...I thought I left them all behind, but I guess they're everywhere these days...)_ The baroness gracefully leapt out of her four-eyed monster and her short dress and cape lightly flowed as she practically glided down halfway down, "Wer ist Bengel, ist das?" _(Who's brat is this?)_

"Ball!" A little boy was happily dribbling his ball as the Baroness approached the oblivious child.

Sie müssen Ihren Ball lieben. _(You must love your ball.) _She bent down to the boy's level and watched the boy roll the ball to her.

"Ball...Ball..." The boy laughed, he had after all found a playmate. The baroness smiled and lightly kicked the ball up on her feet while the boy cheered.

She then kicked the ball up with greater force and flipped up and kicked the ball over the boy. A puppy whimpered as the boy looked back and saw that his puppy had somehow broken his leg and the broken ball was lying over a piece of wreckage, catching fire and and trapping the wounded puppy.

"Wachsen Sie Bengel auf" _(Grow up brat.)_ The baroness said as the little boy began to cry over his lost ball and the poor puppy already burning to death, "Je eher Sie es tun, desto besser von Sie sein werden." _(The sooner you do it, the better off you'll be.)_

"The Young Baroness..." The private commented as the young girl from Japan climbed back into her monster, "Who died and gave the little winch her title?"

"Ask Lelouch, he's the one who gave it to her."

"Wasn't that guy exiled?"

"Look...I have no idea what goes on up top most of the time!" The sargeant barked as a warning beacon activated, "Ah shit..." The private raised her shield in time to avoid being demolished by a series of missiles that engulfed the other Gareth's as a large red blur flew over them and landed between the desperate crowds and Dilandau.

"Hey! You're in the way of my barbeque!" Dilandau yelled in outrage as the intruder, a Bulky Red Mecha who's arms mostly resembled engines, stood unmoving before the Draconic guymelef, "Do I have to speak German again? Move!"

"I stand in the way of your meal?" A voice, calm and wise asked across all channels, bring a shiver of terror to the private, "A meal is earned through predatory action. A symbiont cycle where prey provides for the predator and in time, the predator's corpse provides fertilization for the prey."

"But you stand outside of that cycle. You are a ravenous beast who slays without moderation...a living plague that takes and never gives. You are a symptom of the upset cycle, a tumor that poisons all that lies around it."

"Hence you shall be removed." A burst of air fired out of the intruder's arms, sending out a greater gust of air that put out the fires of Diekirck and caused several Gareth's to retreat in panic.

"So I'm a beast that kills everything else?" Dilandau inquired, "Why thank you! I don't really eat much anyway!"

* * *

**District 3, Angel Park**

Today was just an average day for this troop of ants.

They had just cleaned out a nest of hornets and were now climbing out of the crumbling hive carrying their prize of hornet corpses and larvae.

As they marched down the tree twelve by twelve, they came upon a strange sight. A spider with long legs emerged from the tall grass and came before the ants.

"I am the Replicant Engineered for Galactic Infiltration and Sabotage Mark 5, I cannot be stopped." While multiple soldier ants surrounded the spider in preparation to slay it, the rest of the ants continued with their parade.

"Insignificant insects, The REGIS Mark 5 mocks your feeble attempts of destruction." The ants regarded this strange noisy spider with mild surprise. However, their feral instinct to hunt and gather overcame them, prompting the ants to swarm the spider and attempt to tear it apart, "Your pathetic organic mandibles are incapable of hindering the REGIS mark 5."

"REGIS will incinerate this planet and enslave all of it's occupants." The spider spoke as the ants swarmed it, but were still unable to break it down, "Stand aside or you will be struck down." Unable to understand the noises of this spider, the ants continued to follow their instincts.

REGIS was not amused.

"Die then." Suddenly a wave of energy engulfed the ants and incinerated them, leaving only the black spider in the middle of the dead ants. Searching the perimeter, the spider tracked the ants to the entrance of their lair and entered.

Within seconds, the colony was completely cleaned out.

"You are no match for the superior tactical abilities of the REGIS Mark 5." Victorious, the spider stalked away from the scorched ground that used to be the colony and disappeered into the forest of grass next to it.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Hanger**

"Shinji, great to see you." Mokuba called out when the man he wanted to see approached, "You look rested."

"I am." Shinji stated, "So what's up Mokuba?"

"I wanted your input on the repairs we've made to Eva."

"Eva..." Is that all he was good for? "Is that all?"

"I also wanted to see how well you've recovered." Mokuba stated as they entered the hanger and approached a door labeled: The Mokuba Cave, "Follow me please."

"Is that?" Shinji was trying very hard to register what he was seeing, "What did you do to Eva?" They were in a hanger where what was supposed to be Eva was being worked on.

However, apart from the head, Shinji hardly recognized Unit 01.

"Introducing Evangelion ANIMA!" Mokuba called out as a series of screens pulled up in front of Eva's head as the young Kaiba continued, "Equipped with a pair of heat-laced saber knives capable of a heat yield equal to 700 degrees celsius and has a burn rate of 2 kilojoules per second."

"The armor has been restyled to increase manueverability and allow for more natural control from the cockpit. Furthermore, forming into Mecha Lord should be a less cumbersome process."

"Inside each of your shoulder pylons are the two halves of a lance which connect to each other and then an emitter reacts with your AT field to project energy that solidifies into a helix-blade head that can extend the Eva's AT field out to wherever you happen to throw it."

"The Internal battery was removed and replaced with an entirely different one designed to more efficiently utilize the Neutron-Plutonium stored within...how long?"

"12 hours sir." An engineer called out after welding a piece of metal into the back of Eva's shoulder pylon.

"Twelve hours of full active combat and...we'll say three days if in a statis mode." The screens displaying all of ANIMA's statistics folded down as Mokuba knocked on a stunned Shinji's head to make sure he was still home, "So, what do you think?"

"Of course it's not finished yet." Mokuba continued since Shinji was still in entralled in shock and awe, "We still have to work out a few bugs with interface between the Eva and the pilot; The recognition function of the AT field; and-"

"We still need to put in the rocket powered boots!" The top Engineer cried out after jumping down from the shoulder.

"There aren't any-"

"Jet powered boots?" Shinji couldn't quite picture Eva with rocket powered boots, but it had a certain appeal to him, "That's sounds kind of cool-"

"No jets!" Mokuba barked, "Expensive, unoriginal, and too chaotic of a factor to consider reliable!"

"Sir!" The Top Engineer argued, "What about the boosters on the feet of the GMs?"

"Those are assist-grade only." Mokuba explained as he stood up to the older man three times his height, "Mainly for jumping moderate distances or controlling yourself in space."

"I don't know...I don't see why Eva wouldn't-"

"Eva's native structure doesn't allow for the installation of wings. Without wings, then adding a jet attachment to Eva is asking for someone to die very horribly!"

"Don't trust everything to goes on in the simulator-"

"Do you remember Kikaider?"

"Kikaider? You mean that cyborg who actually became human-minded?"

"The very same!" Mokuba continued his argument with the engineer, "July 18th, 1996! Everything was great, Japan saved from another psychotic Doctor...The idiot just installed boosters on his feet and didn't pay attention...When he turned them on, they flipped up and kept going...taking his legs with them!"

"Kikaider...was still working out common sense-"

"Joe Shimamura aka Cyborg 009! November 18th, 1982! Accelerated into Mach 4 and into the side of a passing Guntank! Pieces of him were found on the moon!"

"Look, you can't generalize based on-"

"Astroboy! April 3rd, 1964! Right leg booster gave out while in enroute from Japan to Madagascar! His head was burnt beyond recognition by the time they found his broken body in the Himilayas!"

"Spartan-RT38 Blaze! Didn't equip jetpack and missed his ship by a mile while in space! They haven't found him yet!"

"Bernard Wiseman! One-year war, Side-6! Overlooked a malfunction in the left rocket booster of his Zaku II and threw himself off balance and crushed his head against the side of his cockpit!"

"Jet Link's still alive!" The Engineer countered to which Mokuba lowered his head.

"Don't get me started on Jet Link...Cyborg 002..." Mokuba slowly said, "February 8th...1986...smoking outside of a Hardees enjoying a good meal...when he dropped his cigarette onto the ground and stepped on it..."

"I think the kid gets the point-"

"The heat of the cigarette set off a chain reaction in his leg that threw him into the sky before giving out at 25,000 feet above sea level...Jet Link may be alive...but I'm sure he wishes he wasn't..."

"So in short..."

"No Jets!" Calming down, Mokuba brushed off the engineer and went back to Shinji, "Sides, once you get the hang of her, you won't even need something like jet boots! Jet Boots! Come on!"

"Why...did you...do all of this?"

"Mostly because we couldn't restore it to it's original state." Mokuba admitted while the two walked over the catwalk stretched out in front of the Evangelion, "And while going over the blueprint, I found so many...flaws...I don't get me started! So I started writing up my own blueprint while playing "The World" and after talking with my friend Suberu, I worked out what would eventually be built into what you see in front of you."

"Wow...I really like how it looks."

"Good, if you'll follow me to my office, then we can over the pilot candidates."

"Candidates?" Shinji took a moment to get the word through his mind, "You're...you're replacing me?"

"Not exactly...to be honest only reason you were piloting Unit 01 was because Seto thought no one else could." Shinji felt the world grow silent, "Even though you would have the most experience, Seto learned a few things about who else could be a pilot."

"You're manipulating me..." Shinji knew exactly who else could be a candidate.

"What?" Mokuba asked caught off guard by Shinji's low voice.

"I know what you're doing..." Shinji grabbed Mokuba's collar and pushed him against the railing of the fragile catwalk, "Are you going to ask Hikari to pilot?"

"No-"

"How dare you threaten her!" Shinji threw Mokuba to the floor of the rumbling catwalk and turned away, "I won't allow it! I'll climb into Eva...even if it's just what my father wants!"

"Shinji-"

"You're just like my father! I'm just a pawn to you...aren't I?" Mokuba was speechless, "I get it. You won't have to worry, soon as I'm out of medical leave, you'll have your pilot." Shinji spat out away from the Eva and walked off the catwalk and out of the hanger as the crew watched him with rising panic.

"You could planned out that conversation better you know."

"Shut up Optimus!" Mokuba yelled into the interbase comm, "He reminds me of Seto when we were living with Gorzaboro..."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Lounge**

"Longest...debriefing...of...my...life..." Bit rubbed out his eyes trying to get every last inch of sleep dust out, "You'd think he'd give us a break over repair costs."

"I know, we did just save the city again!" Simon yelled, was it really his fault for all of the craters his fight caused?

"A man like Kaiba...no way." Roger grudgingly admitted, even if he had a fair point about the structural damage and liberal use of ammo that Smith had ordered.

"Ungrateful spoiled little..." Van never got used to being taxed for doing his duty. The people were safe, what was all the fuse about costs and repairs?

"Hey guys!"

"Bro!" Simon waved at the blue haired paragon of manliness, "What are you doing here?"

"Decided to pay Shinji a visit." Kamina stated before bumping his fist with Simon's, "Heard you had a really tough fight."

"Umm...yeah..." Bit started whistling and picking out of his teeth and was surprised when a bee flew out.

"I bet it was some huge lizard with three heads!"

"Well..." Roger leaned against the wall, mildly shocked when static electricity zapped him, "It was a challenge..."

"So what did you fight?"

"A really hard guy! He tossed me into the air and breathed fired out of his mouth!"

"Simon?" Kamina looked his little brother in the eye, "Something wrong?"

"Well..." Simon didn't have the hard to keep this charade up, "It was buddhist monk with an extending staff and could fire...I swear he was tougher than he sounds!"

"That..." Kamina brushed his thumb under his chin as he thought about what Simon described, "Sounds WICKED! What about you guys?"

"Gardener with a grasshopper and swarm of bees."

"Electric samurai who hacked a GM."

"German Steam-powered jet glider."

"They called you out for that?" Kamina asked, "Can't the Defense Force do squat by themselves?"

"Kaiba wanted us to make up something tougher..." Van admitted, even if he knew personally about how dangerous that glider was.

"Day's saved either way, right?" Kamina stated, brushing off everyone's embarressed anxiety and noticing another member, "Shinji! We were just about to look for you."

"Hey guys..."

"Shouldn't you be back in bed Aniki?"

"Heading there now." Shinji told Simon as he walked with the group, "Mokuba just wanted to talk to me about a few minor adjustments he made to Eva."

"Like what?" Bit asked, intrigued that Eva would have some adjustments done to it.

"Nothing big, just modified armor and some weapons."

"That doesn't sound exciting..." Simon admitted.

"Like I said, minor adjustments." Shinji stated when the group noticed someone was missing, "Bit?"

"I just realized that I need to catch up with someone." The Zoids pilot called to the group with his back turned to them, "See you at the pad Roger."

"Is it just me or..."

"The temperature dropped..." Roger said exactly what was on everyone else's mind, "Somethings bothering Bit."

"I thought nothing ever bothers that guy."

"That's exactly what he wants you to think." Roger said to Van as they watched Bit stalk down the hall, "Men like Bit, the most generous smile holds a thousands secrets..."

"Whatever they are," Van said to himself, "He seems in control."

"Maybe..." Shinji thought out loud as Bit almost slipped off his feet.

"After a hard day's work, I almost slip on the wet floor." Bit somewhat bitterly yelled as he righted himself and kept going, "THANKS GUYS!"

"Not..."

* * *

**District 25**

"Glad we finally got some shopping done!" Eri laughed like some little girl with candy while she skipped out of the store.

"I guess I should thank you for not making me carry stuff." Naota acted distant, but to be honest he hadn't seen this skip in Eri's step since they left home.

"Why?" Eri straightened her glasses, "I was only looking for a few things."

"It's just how most women are." Naota said and started leaving the front of the store when he felt her hand grip his, "Not in public..."

"Cops..." Eri whispered in Naota's ear, without looking back, Naota looked around and saw the rearview mirror of a parked car. In it, he saw a very odd looking police car with the slogan: _To Destroy and Enslave_.

Nothing out of the ordinary there.

"Stay calm, we've got nothing to hide." So the young teens proceeded on like they did have nothing to hide.

Except when their robot stepped out in front of the cop car.

"Kanti!" Kanti smashed his fist into the cop car's hood and promptly kicked it into the side of a nearby building, "That was completely unnecessary!" Kanti pointed to where he kicked the car and the kids followed. Watching as the car transformed into a damaged 16 ft. tall robot that roared as it threw a spiked lance at Naota.

"Really?" Naota asked annoyed as he held up the large lance with his hand, "I think this is your's!" Naota lightly tossed it and didn't move as Ninamori jumped over him and slammed her black guitar into the lance and launched it into robot's head, sending it flying back into the same building and crashing out on the other side of the block.

"Naota...we just got done dodging the feds! Now you want them to come after us again!"

"That wasn't the feds!" Naota stated, "It was some kind of...transforming robot!"

"Excuse me Citizens!" An ED-209 unit called as it marched in front of the teens and robot, "Have you seen a Robot with transmorphic qualities."

"I just knocked it over there."

"Thank you for your assistance citizen." ED told Naota, "Move along."

"And you were worried about the Feds." Naota laughed while the ED robot entered the wreckage in search of it's target. That was when he noticed something about Ninamori's outfit, "What do you have on under..."

"Naughty Naota...wanna find out?" Naota really hated it when Eri jumped up on him and forced him against a wall. Especially in public.

"You know teasing is kid's stuff right?" The girl just smirked as the two started making out, completely oblivious to the gunfire and carnage that ED was unleashing in the next district.

"Hey!" Some looser with a blue hat and black jacket shouted from the window above the two, "Get a room kids!"

"Should I?" Eri raised an eyebrow as she mischieviously smirked, "Let's have some fun..." Eri suddenly screamed and jumped into Naota's arms.

"Spider!" The girl screamed, frantically pointing and yelling while a black spider emerged from a crack in the floor.

"Spider?" The little bug couldn't be any bigger than his toe and Eri was more scared than a cat, "Oh who cares-"

"Kanti?" The two teens looked around and didn't see their robotic companion around. They did see trail dust left behind by him though.

"Yes." Naota was geniunely freaked out to hear a voice come from the spider, "The robotic construct is correct in fleeing before the REGIS Mark V, even if futile."

"A talking spider?" With Ninamori still in his arms, Naota jumped up onto the roof of the building and set the frightened girl down, "You owe me later!" He then grumbled and hopped down to where the spider was inspecting a recently roasted puppy and brought out his guitar.

"The REGIS Mark V is the ultimate harbinger of your doom. The destroyer of civilizations, the devourer of stars, the bane of an entire species-" Naota brought the head of his Gibson guitar down on the spider like a hammer and ground it into the cement. For good measure, he also spat on the spider's crushed corpse and smashed into the ground with his shoe.

"Now you owe me." Naota said to Eri, who had climbed down from the rooftop and somehow didn't gain anyone's attention.

"If you want...we could-"

"Come on! Let's get to our room first!" Naota grabbed the girl's hand and rushed her from the scene. As they left to do whatever it was that they had planned, the spider's remains carefully knit themselves together just in time to confront a swarm of roaches that had come from inside the shop.

"Do not panic." The spider assured the roaches as series of guns emerged from it's reconstructed body, "You will all die." It then opened fire on the poor roaches, confusing the hell out of anyone paying attention to the foot-sized creature.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"Why the hell won't it leave us alone?" The Pavelov helicopter hovered over the area once more.

"Because we're witnesses." Misato as the convoy of survivors huddled in a small trench left over from some obscure war, "It was looking for intel and didn't care much for survivors. If we make it back to civilization...it's mission might be compromised."

"Down!" Something crashed into the ground above the trench, likely the Pavelov in it's true form. Misato slowly crawled up the trench and looked over to where the mechanical destroyer sat with a knee bent.

"Can you translate what it's saying?" Misato called to Maya next to her as the machine began to make a loud and disjuncted sound.

"It's some kind of...bio-electronic...code..." Maya replied while typing away on her laptop. Misato didn't even bother to ask how she climbed up with the laptop, it wasn't important right now.

"Is that even possible?"

"At this point, all definitions of possible and limitations of possibilities have been thrown out the window." Given the stuff that had happened recently, Misato didn't bother to argue, "Seeing as that we're dealing with robots, why not?"

_"I have found no sign of the survivors." _Misato watched the conversation play out on Maya's laptop. Strange letters were displayed while a subtitle at the bottom translated what it was saying.

_"Then why do you persist in your search? _Great, this guy had a friend.

_"I know that there are survivors, they are eluding my sensors somehow."_

_"I see. I am also faced with the same problem. I know that they are in that desert."_

_"What shall I do?" _

_"First, we cease this line of communication.__ They are deciphering our code even as we speak."_

_"Blackout accepts."_ The machine, Blackout, rose up to it's feet and emitted a red ray from it's eyes that started scanning it's surroundings.

"Shit!" The two women dropped down into the trench as everyone huddled down further next to the covered Unit 03, praying that Maya's configuration to Unit 03's AT field would keep them hidden, "Thanks Maya!"

"This was your idea!" Maya harshly whispered back, "We'll just have to be more careful..."

* * *

**Skyline District, Home of the Negotiator**

"Mr. Bit, I believe that now would be the proper time for sleep." Norman suggested to the blond sitting on the balcony overlooking the night time city, "It's one of those days...very well, if you require a midnight snack then we have enough bread for sandwich. I'm sure Master Roger won't notice."

"I heard that Norman." Roger called out, who by the way, was currently sleeping on the couch with a thick blanket.

"I am aware sir." Norman stated as he left the two to their rest, "All these years and he hasn't changed a bit..."

"Before I go to sleep in my comfortable couch-"

"Look, you're the one who decided to sleep on the couch." Bit harshly said to the Negotiator, "Stop complaining and go to sleep."

"Apparently, you don't want to be bothered." Roger pointed out before tucking himself in, "Good night then."

"Might've been a bit harsh..." Bit admitted quietly. He leaned on the railing and looked over the city that had most of it's people turning in for the night. Angel Groove really was a nice place to settle down and maybe...start a new life.

Okay, the giant/weird monsters that keep popping up and Kaiba might be detractors, but other than those two glaring flaws, this was a nice city to live in.

"Bit..." The Ace pilot shivered from hearing someone whisper in his ears while a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bit assured Leena before turning to face her, being careful not to break her grip on him. "I don't think Roger would approve of your nightgown."

"When the hell are you going to be honest with me?" Leena bluntly asked, somehow her annoyed face plus her "special" nightgown really lit up Bit's mood in ways that it probably shouldn't.

Not that he didn't like it mind you...

"I'm more honest with you than most people." Bit admitted while kissing his girlfriend's forehead, "Besides, you don't want to hear about stuff from my stupid troubled past."

"Losing your parents isn't stupid, Bit."

"I was kidding-"

"I'm not." Leena really wanted to get his attention, was he really acting that strangely? "Now tell what's going on?"

"I...had a run in..." Bit wasn't sure what he should tell her, she knew most of the big picture but some things... "No...more like I was contacted..."

"By who?" Bit was about to answer when someone sluggishly walked past the two and rubbed his hands over the railing, "Roger?"

"Due to the discovery that I can sleep in the same bed as my wife without harm to either of us." Roger announced with a relieved expression, "I will pretend that you are not blatantly violating my policy concerning sleepwear, Miss Tauros or that you and Mr. Bit are on the verge of violating my policy concerning sexual conduct. Have a good night you two."

"How much longer until our apartment is unflooded?"

"About that..." As much as Bit would rather not tell Leena that they would need to find another place to live...

It was preferable to the other conversation that was about to break out.

* * *

**Fanelia Embassy**

"What a day and what a night..." Hitomi breathed out, it had been a long time since she just laid down on the grass and looked up at the sky. In fact, when she thought about it, she hadn't done this since she was a child.

"All of the stars in the heavens are out." Kamina stated while leaning back and watching the light show.

"Hey...remember when we didn't know what those lights in the stars were?" Yoko asked while lying back against Kamina's firm muscular chest.

"Didn't you say that they were fireflies once?" Simon asked his older brother, "Thinking back, I'm kind of glad that you were wrong."

"Simon...you simple little creature."

"Rossiu, didn't you believe that all of those stars were cracks?" Nia brought up, to which Rossiu grumbled and went quiet, "So...where's your home Van?"

"Let's see...Gaea is..." The Fanelian King looked around the sky for a while until he sat up and looked at Hitomi, "Okay Hitomi! How the hell can I see Earth from Gaea but I can't see squat from Earth?"

"Magic? I don't know." Hitomi laughed and pointed up, "But...Your world's over there."

"Where's there?" Van asked, who had no idea about how to read stars.

"Above Orion's Belt, silly."

"Wonder how it would fit."

"What?" Now Van was confused in a funny way, "Orion's Belt?"

"Hell yeah!" Kamina boasted, "I'll put it on and every other star will think...damn it...how come I'm not as bright as Kamina?"

"Like you need a belt, bro." Simon told his older brother, "If you can fit out a belt that big...I don't think it would be all that it's cut out to be."

"Sagittarius!" Nia cried out excitedly and pointed out the cluster to Simon.

"Really?" Yoko thought and brought out her sniper rifle to look through it's scope, "What do you know!"

"Sagit...what?"

"It's a bigger group of stars." Hitomi explained to Van, "This one...if you connect the dots, they look like a centaur out on the hunt."

"Kind of cool. Maybe I'll ask him for food when I meet him."

"That's impossible Kamina." Rossiu stated, "It's just a gimmick invented to find your way home in the dark. There's no centaur riding the heavens shooting people with a bow and arrow."

"Maybe not, Rossieu." Nia said, "But it's another half of the universe...there's probably planets out there...with people and families just like us..."

"Hey bro..."

"Whats up, Simon?"

"When we reach the heavens, let's look around Sagittarius...or...maybe find a world out there."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Why bother." Rossiu yawned, "With that many stars so close together, any world inside the pattern is likely uninhabitable..."

"There is at least one world in there." Nia countered, "And everyone was just fine."

"Really?" Yoko smiled when she saw Nia absently smirk, "Least they have good view from out there."

"What! Someone chose to live up there?" It was too absurd for Rossiu, it made no logical sense, "What idiot...even if there was such a world...it's probably dead by now...I...look! All those stars would roast you alive-"

"Well who asked you Rossieu!" Everyone was startled when they heard the volume and venom in Nia's voice. The young girl inhaled and stood up, "I'm going to bed..."

"Nia?"

"Good night, Simon." Her eyes hidden by her hair, Nia started back for the embassy to turn in for the night.

"Nia..." Yoko said as she suddenly kissed Kamina, "Catch up tonight." The busty sniper stood up and jogged off to the embassy.

"Men..." This was a perfect night and their damn testosterone had to go and ruin everything. Frustrated, Hitomi jumped to her feet, "Good night."

"Is it something I said?" Van really wanted to go after Hitomi, but somehow he got this burning vibe from her that following would be a bad idea.

"No it's something that...ROSSIEU SAID!" Kamina clarified when he slammed his fist into Rossieu's face and forcing him into the ground.

"What?" Rossieu asked while rubbing his cheek as Van, Simon and Kamina glared at him.

"You made Nia upset!"

"Simon! Grit those teeth!" Simon didn't have anytime to react when he was punched in the fist, "You should be comforting her!"

"But why does this-"

"Did I say you could speak!" Kamina yelled as he slugged Rossieu again and turned back to Simon, "I don't know what's up...but be a man and go see if you can cheer her up."

"You have very odd...mentoring tactics." Van commented as Simon ran off to the embassy calling for Nia's name.

"That's what big brothers do." Kamina said to the Fanelian King, "They slug the little ones in line and make em stronger."

"Mine never did that as much..." Van absently rubbed his face as his face waned, "Especially after...he failed."

"Failed?" Kamina had heard that Van went through a pretty badass test to become king. Since he was the youngest that meant that the older brother must have failed, "You mean that dragon test?"

"Yeah..." Van answered sadly, "When he returned with a missing arm, everyone believed him to a failure...a disgrace to the line of kings. So...as you can imagine, I had to pick up...the slack..."

"Why didn't he just try again?" Was there a rule against going against the dragon again?

"I don't know..." Van admitted, "Maybe he didn't to bring further disgrace...on himself..."

"Well...you're king now."

"How come you're king?" Rossiu asked when he finally got back on his feet.

"Because when I went on my trial two years ago, I slew my dragon and then used it's heart to power Escaflowne. Signally that by Destiny's decree, I was to become the King of Fanelia-"

"And what kind of stable government is that?"

"Rossieu..." Kamina warned, the kid had already ticked off Nia and was about to go on a roll.

"Seriously! Who sends their heir out alone and without aid to hunt a vicious man-eating dragon as some basis for whether or not they can run a country!"

"Kid..." Kamina noticed Van's serene posture begin to ebb away as Rossiu kept talking.

"I mean...if the leadership of the Dai-Gurren Brigade was based on who could bang Yoko the hardest then of course brainless Staunch Armstrong would be our leader in a heartbeat!"

"Shut up..." Now Van was violently shaking his arms.

"I'm serious...just because some overgrown lizard peeled over and died, that doesn't mean you have the qualities of a favorable leader! It's a commune of the masses that should determine the qualities of leadership, not some suicidal ritual that could possibly deprive you of every heir prematurely!"

"Shut up!" Van punched out, but the young boy easily dodged the blow.

"Ha! See this Kamina! Now you'll see the violence inherent in the system!"

"SHUT UP!" Van violently released a burst of magically charged air that slashed through where Rossiu was standing, but again, the boy managed to dodge.

"You see him trying to hit me Kamina? Now you see the violence inherent in his system!" Rossiu dodge another magical attack and kept talking, "See! See! I'm being repressed!"

"BLOODY PEASANT!" Van cried as he almost drew his sword until Kamina stopped him and walked up to the brashly confident Rossiu.

"HA! MY POINT EXACTLY!" Another fist to his fist, caused all trace of consciousness to ebb from his vision and cause Rossiu to fall down on his face.

"He does that all the time..." Kamina muttered while Rossiu quietly called for Kinon in his unconscious dilerium, "Can't really blame him, he came from mine based in religious idiocy and it rubbed off badly on him."

"You shouldn't call another's faith idiocy."

"So it's not idiotic when they kick out twin children unable to take care of themselves?" Van shrugged his shoulders in concession, "That kind."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center Medical Ward  
**

The moon was out tonight.

He didn't know why...but Shinji always hated it.

Lying here in what could be best termed a helpful prison, Shinji was forced to watch that damned moon shine it's light into his room. He never really knew why he hated it...

He hated it because his sister did.

Of all of the memories he had left of her, Shinji always remembered that she hated to see the moon out. It always made her sad.

And yet, even if he could, destroying the damned thing would make life worse. The moon controls tidal patterns and helps Earth maintain it's orbit around the sun...without it, life would suck all the more.

So he'll just have to live with it...just like everything else...like the little boy who was standing on the wall next to the door.

"What do you want now." Shinji knew that the brat was there, he was still there even when Shinji didn't look at him.

"Stop ignoring me, mister."

"Visiting hours is over." Shinji finally turned back to the boy, and saw that he had that same damn smile on his damn innocent face, "Go away."

"Again, who gives a damn about you?" Yep, Shinji was convinced that his kid was really a symptom of his pathetic life, "When will you understand that everyone hates you?"

"Never...because they don't..." Shinji shifted his gaze to the empty plate at the table near the headboard of his bed.

"Cookies...that's your only defense?" Shinji did everything in his power to refrain from covering his ears. Even if the little boy's laugh was so cutely annoying, "You are pathetic mister."

"At least I'm real."

"How do you know that I'm not?" Shinji could have thought of a thousand reasons why he knew this boy wasn't real. Yet, the boy was, "At least I'm not in denial mister. Everyone hates you...they only keep you around because you're useful."

"Nothing?" The boy asked again, walked up to Shinji with that same little smile, "What about today in the hanger? Why would Mokuba say anything about other pilots?"

"Because he's looking for-"

"WRONG!" The boy screamed enough for Shinji to cover his ears and if he didn't know better, he would've thought that he felt blood, "He was manipulating you! He knew you'd pilot if he threatened to make someone else do it...like Hikari."

"She is cute...but what makes you think she cares about you?" The boy asked while Shinji shifted and turned away, "Why should anyone? Those friends of yours? They only keep you around out of pity. You're teammates? You're useful to them."

"Just like back in Tokyo." Shinji just wanted the brat to go away, but he knew that he wouldn't, "Misato and Asuka...boy did they love to tease and boss you around. But nope, soon as you're not needed, they ditch out here at the mercy of a loser who sells trading cards as a job. Maybe you should've done something with Asuka that night she was sleeping in your bed."

"Hell...even sister just saw us as a toy! Has she ever tried to find us? Does she even remember that she has a brother, let alone if she's still alive? What sad failure you are..."

"But...at least Hikari's just as desperate as you." Shinji turned back to the boy, "Maybe when you're pathetic life comes to an end, at least you won't die a lonely virgin! And she'll remember all of those wonderful 16 seconds that you-" At his limit, Shinji jumped out of his bed and gripped the brat's neck with both of his hands.

"Stop it..." The boy begged as he whizzed while Shinji tightened his grip more and more, "You...know...what's...going...to..." Just as he was ready to snap the little brat's neck, Shinji felt his own air constrict and suddenly he passed out onto the ground.

"Told you..." Shinji swore that when he woke up...that brat wasn't going to get away again...

* * *

**District 32 Borderlands  
**

"Shift's up, get some sleep."

"Yes sir!" With that, the small group of GMs returned to the Sentry Wall while Shiro and four others took up position around the crater that was just barely within Angel Groove's total land territory.

Any further outside...and it's someone else's problem.

"Private channel sir." One of the pilots chimed in.

"Private channel go ahead." Shiro gave the okay and switched his comm to a private channel.

"Well...I've gone over the numbers and none of this makes sense!"

"What the hell has made sense in the past few months?" Shiro never would have believed that half of the shit he'd seen recently was real. Diamonds that shoot laser beams...Dragons...Krakens...Robots that can create giant drills...Yeah, the rulebook on realistic was rewritten at some point.

"No...I mean...this honestly doesn't make sense..." The pilot, stated while sending a file over to Shiro labeled "Shit Be Whack yo!", "I keep replaying footage from the objects descent and...well...take a look."

Shiro played the footage in his cockpit after the file downloaded and watched with widening eyes as the object edged closer to the planet.

"You mean to tell me...it spontaneously grew?" Whatever breached earth's atmosphere, wasn't the same object lying the crater.

"Yes sir." The pilot answered, "Under normal circumstances...this shouldn't add up...there wasn't even a catalyst...one minute...it's a spherical object...the next..."

"It's a head in a crater." Shiro stated, he then turned his screen and looked down at the head poking out of the crater. It looked faintly familiar to the DF Commander, it was white save for a gold horn that stuck out from it's forehead and bore a green gem at the bottom of the horn, "What the hell are you?"

"Commander! We're picking up heavy activity coming from the object!" Shiro didn't need to be told twice, he saw the head's eyes start to gleam red in the early hours of morning.

"Stand by." Shiro commanded, several nearby GM's formed a line behind him and his retreating unit as the ground around the crater began to shake, "Whatever comes out of that crater...we stand our ground!"

"Sir, yes sir!" They were few, but they were a happy few. Maybe it was because Shiro had known some of these guys from the academy. Maybe the impossible perils they had faced had brought them closer together.

Whatever the case, Shiro wasn't at all hesitant to have these guys backing him up just before all hell broke lose.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Does anyone else run into a odd quirk where chapters become longer for no real reason? For instance, the whole fight with Deathwing was only supposed to be one chapter...at some point...it became two.**

**With this next arc...I only planned for it to be two chapters and now...see this why you shouldn't set non-specific road maps for your story. Too much can get left out!  
**

**Anyway, there's a basic term for establishing that a character is evil when they first do something meaningful or are first introduced.**

**The villain might kick a dog...beat up an opponent while they're down...kill a parent in front of their children...Do something that shows that they've crossed the line a long time ago...or breaking a poor child's ball.**

**As Redlettermedia put it: Make the audience hate the Villians. In whatever way you can. No matter how cheap.**

**Whatever the case, this moment exists purely to tell the audience that this is someone who they or/and the heroes most likely won't like.**

**These moments are designed to make you hate whoever is doing these things. Sometimes they can come off as cheap and unrealistic...other times...they leave an impact even after the character reforms.**

**(Example: The first thing we see Vegeta do in the Anime is destroy a bug planet for no real reason (After he saved it from an evil overlord mind you!))**


	10. Bow or Stand pt 1

**District 32 Sentry Outpost  
**

"When did we get to this place?" Shiro asked while still keeping all focus on moving a downed GM into the back of the Defense Force as they engaged the anomaly.

"What place sir?" Eleanor asked from the safety of a hidden Type 74 Hover Truck somewhere behind the sentry wall.

"The place where we fought shit worse than anything we ever did in the Federation?"

"Probably when we thought we'd ever be safe." Shiro grudgingly admitted that Eleanor had a point as he set down the downed GM and went back to the fray while a crew of medics helped the pilot out of the totaled mobile suit.

"Live by the sword, die by the sword right?" Shiro muttered as he saw another GM levitate into the air and explode as an unseen force ruptured it's fuel.

"You read the bible sir?" Michael asked in a GM armed with an anti-armor bazooka, which he was in the process of reloading.

"Ever since we came to this city." Shiro answered as he heard a phone ring in the middle of this chaotic mess.

"Sorry Commander..." Michael apologized while the ringing stopped, "Mom? Hey! How are you?"

"Make it short!" Shiro yelled while surveying the status of the unit. Right now, there were four confirmed casualties, fifteen injured and at least twenty still in active combat-

Never mind, another one bit the dust.

"Look mom I'm in the middle of something-" Shiro prayed that Michael's conversation was worth it, because the kid's GM barely avoided a bolt that surged in the mobile suit's direction, "Well I lost track when I got called out on guard duty...no I'm not making it up!"

"Michael!" Shiro cried as the anomaly pulled a pair of GMs towards it and threw them back a moment later...scorched.

"Yes Kiki is fine too..." Michael muttered as his GM finally reloaded and fired a round in the direction of the target, "Mom...no I haven't knocked her up...MOM!"

"Ensign!" When five more GMs were pretty much totaled, Shiro was all but convinced that this was something that would need more than the handful engaging the target now.

"WE ARE NOT GETTING INTO THIS RIGHT NOW!" Michael yelled loud enough for the whole unit to hear, "DON'T TELL ME THAT! I'M FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE RIGHT NOW!"

"Everyone fall back!" The DF Commander ordered as he opened fire to buy time to evacuate the wounded and the dead.

"Gotta go, bye!" Michael raced up to Shiro's position and fired another missile, "Sorry Commander-"

"You really need to start standing up to-" Both GMs ducked to avoid the shrapnel thrown out from the missile that impacted the anamoly's vicinity and began to slowly crawl back as the DF Guntanks commenced their barrage, "Foley!"

"Already on it! But nothing's hitting it!" The infantry sargeant called out as dust began to cover the entire area outside of the Sentry walls, "Shit...RAMIREZ! GET THE F*%K OFF THE WALL!"

"I'm not getting paid enough for this shit!" Ramirez complained as he and several other infantry leaped from the top of the wall, just in time to avoid the energy beam that tore through that section of the wall and send tons of debris into the air and the city.

"He really wants in, doesn't he Commander?" Michael asked as the two former federation recon pilots got up and started sprinting for the Sentry Wall.

"You tell me!"

* * *

**Angel Groove Medical Ward**

"I hate this..." Shinji managed as he lied on the floor, his breathing only now returning to normal after coughing for close to an hour.

"Hate what?" That damn child was still in his room, still wearing that stupid little smile, "Yourself?"

"I'm tired..." Shinji stood up and sat down on the bed, he slouched forward, but his glare was locked with the boy's, "Go away."

"No."

"Why!" He barked in frustration, "Why won't you leave me alone!"

"Stop ignoring me." The boy's smile was gone now, replaced by a disappointed frown, "Every time you ignore me, you're just running away again."

"Running away from what?" Shinji asked, he choose to really think about this, "There's nothing to run from anymore." Even if there was, where the fuck would he go?

"Then why are you breathing?" Shinji exhaled as the boy walked up to him and stared straight into his eyes as Shinji tilted his head down, "Why bother being here? Why keep going? Why keep fighting?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Now that Shinji was this close to the boy, he realized that one of the child's eyes was scarlet red...just like...

"I'm asking you." The boy redirected as his eyes furrowed, "Do you believe that your existence has some benefit for something or someone? Do you believe that you have something to fight for? That you possess a purpose that warrants your existence? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know?"

"Is it...self-actualization? Peace? Fear? Selfish preservation? Belonging? Perhaps love? All illusions." The boy giggled as his smile returned, "Fragile concepts created by the human mind to construct it's own reality and paint it as something that it is not. A feeble attempt to justify a life that is without purpose or meaning. In your case, a pathetic ploy to convince yourself that you are something other than a pawn...a puppet who exists only to do what you are told."

"And what happens to the puppet after it's purpose is fulfilled? It gets thrown into the fireplace to be used as firewood for the master's stew! Or else, it's thrown into a ditch and left to the flies! Broken down and reduced to the barest of minerals as compost lost within a heap of trash!"

"I am not a puppet." Even if he had been used in the past, the young pilot knew that he was no doll. That was what this was all about, wasn't it? Shinji tilted his face up as he finally figured out this little child's game.

"You know that I'm right!" The boy cried as if sensing that Shinji had not succumbed as he was now obviously trying to do, "You know that there isn't any reason for you to be alive! You know that your very existence is only to be filled with empty sadness...because everyone hates you! They'd rather see you disappear! They're lives would be better if you were never born!"

"Why Mister?" Now the boy sounded desperately frustrated as he growled out his words, "Why are still alive?"

"Major Ikari?" Startled, Shinji stood up and noticed a nurse entering his room, "Are you alright sir? Your monitor almost dropped-"

"I'm fine Ino, thank you." Shinji assured with a smile, convinced, the nice woman closed the door behind her and left Shinji in his room, alone.

The brat got the message.

"Who said I can't breath? Even then...why should I listen?"

* * *

**Kaiba's Estate**

"Seto!" Mokuba cried as he broke his older brother's number one rule and entered the Kaiba Corp president's room.

"Oh Kisara!" Seto was enjoying a very...predictable dream, "A little more...Yes! You're so...moist and wet-"

"Seto..." Mokuba really hated it when his big brother had these kind of dreams, Mokuba thought that they were creepy if not all together disturbing.

"The feather! Use the feather!" Mokuba had now heard enough and relaxed before he said the one phrase that he knew would piss off his brother.

"Card games on motorcycles."

"CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!" Seto launched from his bed and heavily exhaled before he noticed that his little brother was in the room with him, "Mokuba! I had a horrible dream where some Yusei guy beat me in a Children's cardgame while riding a motorcycle and performing the karma sutra with-"

"THE CITY'S UNDER ATTACK!" Mokuba screamed while his young mind was being bombarded by the inappropriate things that his brother had said, "Must...focus...must...keep...disturbing...images...away..."

"Again?" Kaiba was really getting annoyed with these attacks, "Lovely, let's go Mokuba."

"Think...of...Subaru...with...wet...bikini-"

"Give it up, she's probably a lesbian." As Seto threw on his overcoat, he heard his little brother scream in shock and terror before passing out onto the floor. "You okay?"

* * *

**District 32**

"Why do all of these people always show up at the most inconvenient time!" Van grumbled as the team traversed through the now abandoned District 32.

"It's called Murphy's Law, King." Bit said to Van as he dragged behind the team due to his Liger's equipment.

"Everything that can go wrong...will go wrong." Roger stated as Big O spotted a group of GM's nearing their location. From the look of their mobile suits, this situation was pretty serious.

"Rangers..." The GM Commander breathed through the comm before coughing, "Thanks for showing up."

"What's the situation Shiro?" Roger asked as a GM collapsed and it's pilot bailed just before a snuff of flame blew out of the compartment.

"We didn't even get any warning..." Shiro told the rangers while getting his breath under control, "It just...popped out and...went to town on us..."

"Where's the rest of your unit?" Bit asked when he noticed barely more than a dozen GMs standing and half a dozen more wrecked beyond repair.

"They're gone sir." The DF Commander swore under his breath, not bothering to cover up his frustration.

"I'm sorry we didn't come sooner." Roger clenched his hand, several families had just lost something irreplacable, "Take the survivors and get back to HQ, we'll take care of this."

"Yes sir. Alright ladies! Regroup at HQ!" Shiro commanded, sounding determined to not allow another pilot to die. Not under his watch anyway.

"It's coming!" One of the pilots cried out as GM's damaged or undamaged started running past the rangers, "It's coming right for us!"

"It's...It's already here!" Shiro corrected when the Rangers found themselves confronted by the Anomaly of District 32.

"What the hell is that?" Bit asked as the Rangers sighted the white bipedel mecha that approached them, marching at a brisk pace as though it had all of the time in the world.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"The Rangers must be careful," Optimus stated when the target's picture came to the screen, "That is a Zymorgenic Offensive Relentless Destroyer."

"What?"

"A Zord..." The Autobot stated to Kaiba, "An ancient war machine used during the War of Shattered Skies...that one would still be in existence...and functional..."

"Anything else you can tell us?" Mokuba asked as technicians used the footage to analyze the zord's stats.

"Yes...it's description...the language on it's helm..." Optimus was silent for a moment as the autobot dove into his own memory, "This zord's name is Cyclopsis...it apparently originated from the world of Dora Talos before the planet was made uninhabitable before Time Remembers...I can say nothing else...anything more about this zord has been lost to legend."

"Detecting increasing energy readings!" One of the bridge bunnies yelled, "It's preparing to attack!"

"Then we'll fight back..." Seto did not seem phased by Optimus' warning, "Rangers! Kick this Zord off of my property!"

* * *

**The Action begins**

"You heard the man!" Roger cried as the creed of terms flashed over Big-O's console, _**Cast in the Name of God. Yee Not Guilty.**_ "Big O! Action!"

"Look guys, I'm going to butt in." Bit muttered in a low voice as Liger Zero stepped out in front of the team and an increasingly louder hum began to emit from Liger's green armor.

"Bit?" Van asked as Liger's armor mounted twin cannons started to glow and various panels and pods slid out or opened.

"Liger Zero Panzer, like it?" Bit asked as the team suddenly became very uncomfortable, the question was why, was it Bit's unusual vicious tone or the amount of gunfire he now had at his fingertips? "Well I've got some steam to blow, so sit back and enjoy the show!" As Liger Zero Panzer began it's assault, the sheer amount of guns and ammunition didn't seem very loud to the Negotiator.

All he heard was an odd sound that seemed very reminescent to a nail being scratched across a steel plate.

* * *

**Command Center**

"If I could think of the times that would've been useful-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Seto said as the Command Deck watched with awe at the hell-fire assault that Bit's liger was unleashing on the zord. "If he succeeds, then we can all go to sleep."

"See, now you just jinxed it-"

"Does your brother need to repeat himself-"

"Shut up Optimus!"

* * *

**Back to the action**

"You think you fired enough ammo?" Roger inquired with both amusement and dull surprise as the smoke settled from Liger's barrage of cannon fire, missiles, machine guns, beam weaponry, and grenade launchers.

Amazing what you can fit into a small set of armor.

"As Leena always says, you can never fire enough." Bit called out as Liger roared in agreement, "Unless, you didn't take out the target."

"It would be a waste if you did-" Van cried out in surprise when a white fist attached to metal cord flew out and slammed into Escaflowne's chest to send the guymelef flying into a nearby building as another hand appeared and grabbed the over-heated and lumbering Liger Panzer and lifted the zoid into the air.

"Bit!" Simon watched as a violent electric current flowed through the cable and overran Liger's armor. The zoid cried out in pain along with it's partner. Thinking quickly, Lagann leapt onto the cable attached to the hand and began drilling into the metal cord.

"What the?" To Simon's surprise and shock, his drill wasn't even making a dent in the thick cord, but it did manage to divert all of the electricity from Liger to Lagann. Simon grunted as wave after wave of electric energy coursed through Lagann and his cockpit, it so much energy just to stay conscious much less keep Lagann's drill spinning.

Fortunately, a metallic chained hook clamped onto Lagann and pulled the small gunman off as Escaflowne sliced into the cord, causing it to release Liger as the damaged, but intact cord retracted back to it's original place.

The arms of the waiting warzord.

"You alright?" Van asked as Big-O engaged the zord and began to pummel Cyclopsis with a barrage of heavy punches that caused it to fall back with each hit. Lagann meanwhile, sat quietly on the city street as Simon gripped his heart and heavily breathed to recover from the attack he just went through.

"Yeah...just give me a minute..." Bit breathed while Liger staggered in place, attempting to maintain balance despite it's damaged state. Meanwhile, Big-O nearly fell out of balance when Cyclopsis headbutted the megadeus, but Roger retaliated by shooting a series of hooked, rocket-powered chains into Cyclopsis chest and forcing it further back before pulling the zord back to Big-O's readied fist. The resultant force cracked the side armor of Cyclopsis torso and threw it to the ground.

"That's a hit!" Just as Bit celebrated, Cyclopsis rose to a knee and brought it's arms up to it's forehead. In the blink of an eye, a large cycling orange beam fired out of the Zord's forehead and blazed into Big-O's direction, "Roger!" Though the Megadeus was intact, much of it's chest paneling had been destroyed and one of it's eyes had lost lighting.

"Impossible..." Van muttered in shock, "Let's see you stop this!" Escaflowne slashed it's sword, sending a stream of concentrated air into Cyclopsis' direction. The ground and buildings around the zord gave way, but Cyclopsis remained in position, holding a crescent shaped energy in it's hands that it soon threw at Escaflowne.

"Well...this is a pretty shitty start..." Bit stated as Escaflowne flew overhead and landed on it's back, a large gash etched into it's lower chest thanks to it's own attack, "At least this is only first quarter..."

* * *

**Command Center Medical Ward**

"Don't worry, your family was already evacuated." Hikari assured the injured patient while she finished applying his medicine.

"Thank you..." The private managed under his labored breath, "See this why I should listen to my wife more..."

"Ha! Hasn't been ten years and you're whipped already!" The private's squad mate mocked and soon after shook under the pressure of the injury to his lower stomach, "Pain...pain..."

"Serves you right!" The private barked back before he lied back and moaned from the agony of having a broken ribcage, "Why did I take that hit for you..."

Hikari had learned about their story from just watching. The two apparently were injured in the recent attack and one fell off the wall while the other was crushed under rubble...and somehow they met at a midpoint while trying to find the other.

And here they were, throwing a fit at each other like little boys with toys. It's funny what you'll find while volunteering at the Medical Ward...at least compared to a few other harsh facts...

Such as eighteen confirmed casualties and...rising...

"Hikari?" Nurse Jenny passed through with an empty stretcher, "Listen, why don't you go on break for a while?"

"I'm fine ma'am-"

"Relax, it's not like you're getting paid for this..."

"I'm not here for money!"

"Relax! I'm only kidding with you..." The mid-twenties nurse laughed while Hikari reluctantly grinned, "Save it for the real rush, Hikari. We'll really need you then."

"Alright..." Giving in, Hikari undid her apron and rubbed the sand from her tired eyes. Sometimes she wondered, with the start of the art equipment in this center, was she really needed as a volunteer?

Feeling the area shake, she realized that the battle up above was likely growing more intense even with the Rangers deployed. All but one, who she had unknowingly been walking towards ever since she went on her break.

"Shinji..." The boy turned to acknowledge her and then when back to whatever it was he was doing...outside of his room, "What are you doing?"

"Suiting up." Shinji answered as he threw on his jacket.

"What?" It took a moment to understand what Shinji had told her, but she caught on, "You're still on medical leave! You're going against your orders-"

"Screw my orders Hikari." Shinji straightened out his jacket as he purposefully evaded Hikari's eyes, "I'm done with doing as I'm told. My friends are getting whipped out there and they need my help...even if they won't want it."

"Shinji..." Hikari knew that Shinji was saying something else entirely...his eyes reflected frustration, fear, and determination.

"I didn't want this burden Hikari..." The boy admitted while she listened, "No one ever asks me if I want to pilot Eva...to be entrusted with saving the world...sacrificing my own sense of being...and no one ever asks if they should thank me..."

"Then..." It had been something she thought about ever since Toji and Kensuke became pilots, but now that there was a chance she was needed, "Let me pilot it-"

"No!" Hikari jumped at the raised volume of Shinji's voice, and she wasn't the only one. Half of the pilots in sick bay had also been startled, "I can't...I can't ask anyone else to do something that I wouldn't want to do...it's unfair to them."

"What about you!" He sounded like a broken record but yet it made sense. He wants to protect his friends without being sure that he's their friend...he hates piloting and yet, he won't let anyone else take his place. How could someone be this tortured and brave at the same time? "If you carry this for too long you'll crush yourself Shinji! You can't do it alone!"

"Why not? I've been alone all along." Hikari gasped as Shinji frowned and walked past her, "Besides, no one will miss me." For whatever reason, she couldn't turn back. Maybe he didn't mean it, but it hurt to hear him say something like that.

"You...You...IDIOT!" Hikari screamed, uncaring that a few dozen people likely just heard her, "Don't say things...without asking...if their..."

"Why aren't you following him?" Startled, Hikari jumped up when she just now realized that a wide-eyed Nia was standing right behind her.

"Nia? I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"Please answer my question." Hikari found her eyes now drawn to Nia's, "Why did you let him go?"

"Because he's an idiot..." Hikari confessed, _"I sound like Asuka right now!"_ "He complains about being alone and yet...he doesn't want others to help him..."

"Then show him that he's wrong." Nia directly stated without blinking, "If a child is never shown the truth, they'll believe that 2 + 2 = 5 for the rest of their life."

"What-"

"Come on!" Nia grabbed Hikari's hand before the poor girl could realize that she was being led, "Let's show Shinja that he has friends."

"Shinja?"

"I'm sorry...I meant Shinji..." Nia corrected while rubbing her light hair, "Where did that come from?"

* * *

**Returning to the Action**

"No...why are you picking on me?" Bit complained as Liger Panzer was lifted into the air by Cyclopsis' apparent telekinetic abilities and thrown back down towards the ground, only to slam painfully into the air above the city streets, "Did you just knock me into air! Come on!" Panzer fired a round from it's intact cannon that hit the zord's face, but a cadre of missile launchers pulled out from Cyclopsis' upper chest and barraged the zord with a screen of missiles.

"I've had enough of you!" Van cried as Liger fell to the ground all but defeated, "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" Slashing with Escaflowne, a very visible light-blue energy swath bladed out towards the ancient zord.

"It's gotta have a weakness." Roger said to himself as Big-O pointed up it's arms and then punched them together to fire a white laser that shoot out at Cyclopsis just as Escaflowne's energy swath was about to impact the ancient zord.

The zord threw out it's arms as the two attacks halted in place in front of it and pushed out again and forced the two attacks back towards their casters. Slicing off Escaflowne's arm and broke off a large portion of Big-O's left leg while Cyclopsis folded it's arms over it's chest.

Spotting easy prey, the warzord stalked towards the paralyzed Gunman still lying in the city street while Simon struggled to restore power despite his own injuries. Cyclopsis stomped down on Lagann and drove it into the ground as Simon continued to turn his drill core in strained desperation.

"Get off my precious little brother KICK!" A Red blur suddenly slammed into Cyclopsis and knocked it off of the grounded Lagann.

"Bro!" Simon called out with raised spirits as Gurren dodged one of Cyclopsis' punches and knocked the ancient zord back from his brother.

"Who the hell do you think I am PUNCH!" Kamina yelled as Gurren's fist slammed into Cyclopsis' chest and sent the ancient zord flying back through the city district, "Alright, where's the bastard that woke us up early?"

"That was him, bro." Simon pointed out as he finally got power to Lagann, but still had trouble dislodging himself from the ground.

"Oh." Kamina muttered in surprise as Cyclopsis recovered from the attack, "What the hell is that? That's the dumbest looking mecha I've ever seen...Viral has more class than this punk!"

"Looks can be deceiving..." Bit stated from the badly battered Liger Zero Panzer, "Apparently...the focus was placed on effectiveness rather than looks...what does he have to show for it? He's kicking our asses right now."

"Wait a minute..." Kamina muttered as Cyclopsis stood out of it's crater and just stared at Gurren, "How dare you copy the Brothers, Gurren Lagann!"

"Bro?" Simon jumped when Gurren kicked the ground and knocked Lagann into the air. Fortunately, Gurren managed to catch the mini-gunman without even looking.

"Look at it Simon!" Kamina said as he held Lagann out to get a better view of Cyclopsis, "It's some cheap rip-off of Gurren Lagann and Mecha Lord!"

"It's called a Zord." Van corrected as he managed to get Escaflowne standing despite it's extensive damage.

"Like I said! It's copying and mocking us!" Kamina yelled as Cyclopsis pointed out it's open hand, but was surprised when nothing happened to Gurren, "Simon! Let's show em that they're playing with the big boys!"

"Right behind you Bro!" Confidence at it's peak, Simon punched his drill core as Gurren tossed Lagann into the air above it. The small gunman drilled downwards, slamming into Gurren's head and initiating it's combination sequence.

"Super Ultra Combining, Gurren Lagann! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!" Gurren Lagann complete, it pumped it's arms allowing the awesome of it's presence to leak into the area and cause another volcano to explode somewhere in the world.

"You know...why can't you do that in the beginning of the fight!"

"Wouldn't be as cool."

"Save your energy." Roger suggested, "I'll give you guys an opening!" A myriad of chains shot out from Big-O's arms and hips that flew out towards the ancient zord and wrapped around it's arms as the two mecha began to tug against each other.

"Don't mind if I have cut in!" Van cried as he held Escaflowne's blade and threw it out towards the ancient zord. Distracted by it's chains, the ancient zord was impaled through the lower torso and thrown off enough to be unable to defend against a series of missiles that Big-O fired from it's chest and the downed Liger fired from it's armor.

"Goes double for me!" Bit cried as he fired a set of airborne pods that flew over Cyclopsis and rained down a barrage of grenades that emitted a thick fog that covered Cyclopsis as it struggled to pull out Van's blade and hold off the chains around it.

"This'll be too easy!" Kamina cried as Gurren Lagann threw out it's sunglasses, which then split apart and hooked into Big-O's chains before digging into Cyclopsis' arms and holding them out.

"GIIIGGAAA..." Gurren Lagann pulled up it's right arm, forming a drill that quickly elongated and then spontaneously expanded as Simon continued, "DRILLLL BREAKKKEERRRR!" Like a rocket, the combo gunman lauched its self at the tied down zord and prepared to punch straight through the zord's white armor. In the span of less than five seconds, Gurren Lagann's drill met with Cyclopsis' upper-body.

"Bro..." Except that Cyclopsis' upper-body remained...in fact, the drill had been broken into by the horn of Cyclopsis' head. As Simon's eyes remained widened, small currents of red and blue electricity circulated through the horn and concentrated into the green gem on it's forehead.

A bolt shot out from Gurren Lagann's right shoulder, destroying the joined arm and shattering the halted drill as the ancient zord kicked the Gunman's head into the side of one of the larger fragments of the drill. As Gurren Lagann remained unable to recover, the ancient zord telepathically halted the drill pieces and threw them at the Gunman.

"Don't worry about it Simon! We'll just make a bigger one next time!" Kamina boastfully assured the still stunned Simon as Gurren Lagann weaved in and out of the cloud of drill fragments while Cyclopsis also used the fragments to break out of it's bindings and fired a pair of lightning blasts from it's shoulders that impacted Big-O and Escaflowne while a larger fragment stabbed into Liger's underside.

"If there's a next time." Simon breathed as the cloud finally let up and Cyclopsis flew out and landed a punch on Gurren Lagann's chest and didn't leave a scratch.

"Ha! Is that all you got?" Kamina was answered when a long elongated blade pierced out from the Combo Gunman's back.

"Bro!" Simon called since that blade had pierced dangerously close to the cockpit.

"Simon watch out!" Heeding his brother's warning, Simon returned focus to the ancient zord. Just in time to see it's red eyes boring down on him before a great flash blacked out his vision.

* * *

**Evangelion Anima Maintenance Hanger**

"Are you sure that you're supposed to be here-" The technician didn't bother arguing when he saw a pistol pointed to his face, "I'll be quiet now.

"Have to hurry!" The techie watched as the fifteen year old Japanese major ran up the catwalk and jumped onto the inactive Evangelion Anima before accessing a manual hatch and leaping into the cockpit, "Cool, a how-to-guide, thanks Mokuba."

"Oh come on...does anyone read anymore!" The techie cried as pair of girls found their way into the "Super-Secret-Forbidden-Hanger." Sometimes he wondered why the Kaiba's bothered to keep the place off limits.

"Sorry sir, but we need to help our friend." The younger of the girls apologized sweetly while the older ran along the catwalks and stood in front of the Eva.

"Shinji!" Girlfriend? Oh joy, the technician sat down in his chair and started chewing gum as he watched the drama unfold.

"Hikari..." Major Ikari said when he poked his head out of the cockpit, "Stop trying to stop me!"

"Shinji! This is crazy!" It was like a textbook example of UST arguing, "Do you even know how to activate it on your own?"

"I read the instruction guide." Shinji answered as he held up the book and then ducked back into the cockpit, "Now let me do my-"

"Yeah...we were still working on that." The technician answered as Eva hummed with life and then returned to silence to indicate a failed activation, "The recognition mainframe isn't completely functional."

"Recognition mainframe?" The little girl asked.

"Yeah, that's what allows the Eva to recognize whether or not the pilot can synch with her." The technician answered, "Without it, she'll just assume that it's an intruder."

"She?"

"Oh crap...I shouldn't have said that..." The technician corrected himself and tried to think of a hundred plausible lies for his mix-up, but seeing those cute wide eyes killed that plan, "Oh whatever, turns out this thing isn't really a mecha at all-"

"GET UP!" Major Ikari screamed inside of the inanimate Eva ANIMA and then started screaming in Japanese. The technician never bothered to read up on Japanese, but he did notice Miss Hikari grow a bit pale when she heard the boy scream.

"What did he just say?" The technician asked while not being sure that he wanted to know.

"In less vulgar terms, he called Eva a piece of junk for not getting up." At least one of those words could be substituted for another word too vulgar for the younger girl.

"MOVE DAMN IT!" Shinji yelled as he started kicking the inside of the cockpit, "I am not about to let my friends die because of you!"

"I'm sure they're alright..." To assure the boy, he picked up his phone and watched a live feed of what was going on up above on the city streets...it wasn't pretty, "Ah shit...Simon..."

"Simon?" The younger girl heard him say that name and immediately ran up to the technician,, "What's wrong with Simon?"

"IS THAT HOW YOU WANT TO BE?" Teens, did the kid just go throw another wangst episode? The techie had issues as a kid, but nowhere near as bad as this kid, "THE ONE TIME I HAVE A CHOICE AND YOU REALLY WANT TO JUST SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS MY FATHER! DO YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER YOU STUPID LITTLE WAREME!"

"SHINJI IKARI!" Hikari cried out in utter outrage, "THAT IS NOT A WORD TO USE WITH-"

"FUCK THIS!" Yep, the kid was going to be thrown in the doghouse after this, "I'm...I'm not going to pushed around by some machine!"

"Ah...you might not want to-"

"I'm going up!" Shinji cried out as he started flipping a few switches that Mokuba warned weren't at all safe to use at the moment, "If you don't agree with that Eva...Let me put you in my shoes!"

* * *

**Stop cutting away from the action!**

"Simon!" Blasted back by Cyclopsis' eye-beam attack, Lagann smoked within a long crater while it's pilot fought to stay conscious in spite of the heavy gash he had on his shoulder. If not for the danger sense he had honed for years by working in the mines, that attack might have actually killed him.

In it's state, Lagann could barely stand on it's own and could only watch as Cyclopsis appeared in front of it and slashed down. The mini-gunman produced a drill in defense that spun even as Cyclopsis thrust with it's wrist-blade and held off the sharp weapon.

Then it brought out it's other arm and produced a similar blade from the wrist and stabbed into the drill's midsection instead of it's point and the drill crumbled around Lagann.

"Cheap bastard!" Kamina yelled he planted his feet to keep his blade from slipping out of place, one misstep and the zord's next attack might hurt Simon, "Don't ignore me!" The Dai-Gurren Brigade leader slashed out and continued his frenzy, madly clashing blow for blow with Cyclopsis' wrist-blades to protect his little brother.

As for those cuts he kept getting on his own body? They were merely scratches, that's why he wasn't hindered by the blood loss that would kill most people.

"Get down!" Roger yelled out as Big-O opened up it's right arm and fired it's stored gatling cannon at the ancient zord, knocking the zord back as the megadeus continued to fire while Kamina effortlessly pulled Lagann out of harm's way.

"He had that along and-"

"He uses it as a side weapon." Simon told his older brother as Kamina jumped in to check on his little brother's injuries.

"Side weapon? That thing-"

"Could take out...a whole army..." Simon managed as Big-O ceased fire and withdrew it's unloaded weapon back into it's arms.

"No...That's just not..." To Roger's bewilderment and shock, Cyclopsis...was still standing. The white zord stood with arms crossed and surrounded by a field of levitating orbs of combustion and energy...

Caused by Roger's ammunition.

"No." Van was in disbelief at this sight. Dodging bullets was a very powerful skill, but stopping them? Let alone ones the size of automobiles? This had to be a stark nightmare that they were all going to wake up from-

"Roger!" Bit cried out as Big-O was barraged by the orbs as swiftly as they were originally fired as bullets. When the attack was done very quickly, the black megadeus stood on one intact leg while one of it's arms lied at it's riddled side.

"Big O...please hold on!" Roger implored his partner, but with little response, "I know it's tough, but we don't have a choice!"

"Enough!" Despite Escaflowne's condition, Van refused to stand down while this Zord destroyed his friends, "You want a fight? Then take me!"

_"With pleasure." _Startled that this zord had a voice, Van was momentarily distracted and left open for when his own sword was thrown into Escaflowne's chest._  
_

"Van!" Bit cried as the impaled royal guymelef flew back through the air, "To be fair, you did kind of ask for it-"

"Who asked you!" Van cried out as Cyclopsis just surveyed the scene as though it were looking for another to step up and challenge it. Liger Zero might be able to rise up, if not for the weight that the damaged and already heavy panzer armor held on it's system.

Escaflowne was currently impaled into the ground with most of the blade stabbed too deeply for the sword to be pulled out quickly.

Big-O, barely managed to stand, but had been decimated when it's own attack was turned against it.

Gurren Lagann lied in pieces, it's main body lied abandoned behind the ancient zord while it's damaged head and core was being cared for.

Satisfied in it's apparent victory, the ancient zord sharpened it's wrist-blades against each other and prepared to finish off it's fallen opponents starting with Lagann.

"E-ANIMA! Engage!" A loudspeaker announced as a nearby hatch opened wide to reveal a tall and lean purple and green mecha that no one would be able to identify except for it's indistinguishable single-horn helm and the signal that the team had not expected to see...

* * *

"Success!" Mokuba cheered as his brainchild took the field.

"Shut up Mokuba." Seto barked as the bridge bunnies all gulped when they saw that Eva had been deployed, "Considering especially that you allowed it be deployed at only 90% completion!"

"It was only minor stuff." Mokuba assured his older brother.

"Like what?" As a business tycoon, Seto knew all to well that no detail should ever go overlooked.

"I don't remember right now." Mokuba shiftily stated, causing Kaiba to roll his eyes back to the screen.

* * *

**Why all of these cuts?**

"Shinji?" Simon rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't just dreaming, but he wasn't, "You're not supposed to be out here!"

"Eva looks different." Bit noted while he and the team scrambled to patch a line out to the purple Unit 01, "Shinji, do you read us?"

* * *

"ANIMA's communication line isn't functional sir!"

"Only minor stuff?"

"Well..." Mokuba adjusted the collar of his shirt while under his brother's gaze, "He can still receive messages, he just can't respond."

"Oh..." Kaiba returned his attention to the main screen, "I suppose that isn't too bad."

* * *

**Seriously? Why cut away from Action?**

"Hey Shinji! Give us a thumbs up if you can hear us." The Evangelion turned back to Liger and gave the zoid a thumbs up, "Good."

"Are you good to pilot?" In response to Van's question, Eva motioned it's head and nodded up and down.

"Please tell me Kaiba didn't send you." Eva shook it's head to Roger's question, "You came out here on your own?" Eva shrugged it's shoulders and turned to face the now recovering zoid.

"Thank you, just don't push yourself too hard aniki." Eva gave another thumbs up in Lagann's direction just before it broke into a charge at the walking zoid.

"Watch him Shinji!" Bit warned as Eva ducked under one of Cyclopsis' punches and brought it's leg down on the zoid's head, "He's very fast and maneuverable...not to mention resilient and has either deflected or withstood everything that we've thrown at him...not to mention tricky..." Bracing itself off of Cyclopsis, Eva barely managed to avoid a lightning blast that tore through the ground, marking the space between the zord and the now crouched Unit 01.

"And we were worried about the kid." Bit breathed as Eva pulled out a heat-laced knife out of it's wrist and locked it with one of Cyclopsis' blade-wrists while using the other arm to hold back to the other wrist. But did not anticipate the lightning bolt that tore through it's shoulder, "With good reason..."

* * *

"The Emergency Pain Suppression system?"

"Maybe..."

* * *

**This is getting old...**

"That sounds like..." Simon muttered to himself as he heard Shinji scream more like a girl than he usually did while Eva was kicked down and forced to drop it's knife. The zord was momentariy distracted by the blood-like liquid that had splashed on it's white armor, allowing Eva the chance to pull out another knife and stab into Cyclopsis' chest.

Only for Shinji to cry out again when a twin pair of lightning bolts stabbed into Eva's lower torso and out it's back.

* * *

"Pilot's health readings are dropping sir!"

"Pain Threshold holding at 54% and dropping..."

"Adjusting the synchronization input system to non-lethal levels?"

"Okay! I wasn't exactly clear about your directions as to what non-lethal means!"

* * *

**Oh! Come on!**

Cyclopsis kicked Eva back into the air and watched unimpressed as the Evangelion flipped back and landed on it's feet.

The zord then fired a beam of energy from it's horn that violently impacted Eva's now very active AT field. Eva reached onto it's back and pulled from it's shoulder pylon's two identical shafts that it connected together to form a lance with a faintly dim energy blade on the end.

As it's AT field began to give way, Eva shifted a foot back and threw it's lance into the AT field. To the team's amazement, the spear impacted the field and as it exited, focused it around the lance as it flew out towards the Ancient Zord.

"Damn..." Kamina whistled as the glaive was barely halted by Cyclopsis' telekinesis but was still pummeled by the AT field that had been extend out around it and slammed across the city district.

Breaking out into a dash, Eva grabbed the glaive on it's way and might have caused a sonic boom as it leapt into the air and shifted it's weight down and over the still stunned Cyclopsis.

A large crater formed around the zord as a thin unseeable barrier was all that keep Eva's glaive from piercing the Zord's armor. The zord fired another cannon from it's horn, but the attack was safely diverted apart due to Eva's AT field as Eva pushed down it's assault as it began to push back whatever defense Cyclopsis had erected.

However, Eva was so focused on piercing the Zord's defense, that it failed to keep it's surroundings in check. Specifically, the downed GM that slid into the expanded crater. One which now had it's arm strangely holding up a beam rifle.

"Watch out Shinji! It has ESP!" Roger's warning came too late as the GM's gun fired a round that seared into Eva's lower back and then fired another one that pierced it's wrist. Having made it's opening, Cyclopsis pushed up and threw the Evangelion into the side of the crater and remained unmoving as the downed GM was thrown at Eva and exploded...

* * *

"What about the defensive recognition system of the AT field-"

"Look...you gave me a lot to work with, okay?" Mokuba shifted his gaze to a notepad in his hand and went through the notes that he had hastily scribbled down, "Half the time, we were struggling to make sure she agreed with us!"

"She?" Optimus inquired, knowing that he was somehow not going to like what the Kaiba brothers would probably tell him.

* * *

**This better be the last time!**

Emerging from the crater, Eva hobbled on it's legs as it searched for it's enemy. It turned back when it noticed that Cyclopsis was hovering just above the crater ceiling with it's arms folded, daring the Evangelion to attack it.

Taking the challenge, Eva leapt up at Cyclopsis, was diverted and thrown to the side of the crater when a large chunk of debris smashed into the side of it's chest.

The zord levitated down before Eva as it rose to it's feet and charged for Cyclopsis. Once more, the zord did not move as an unseen barrier protected it from the Evangelion's glaive and it remained unmoving as refueling semi slammed into Eva's back and spilled it's contents out onto the purple mecha before catching on fire.

The very ground beneath Eva rose as the purple mecha was lifting into the air by the floor it stood on and lost balance enough to fall through fragile debris and slam it's back into the ground. Cyclopsis did not move, but a set of now activated DF beam sabers appeared around it and circled into a violent dance as the beams slashed into Eva's chest one after the other.

"Aniki!" Uncaring that his injuries had only just been repaired, Gurren Lagann leapt down before Eva and destroyed the sabers with it's drill-covered arms as it prepared to charge the still unmoving Cyclopsis.

"Get down." Unsure of who had called, Gurren Lagann ducked and covered Eva as a large chaotic particle beam flew into view and encompassed Cyclopsis.

The attack likely had failed to leave a lasting impact on the white mecha, but as the team slowly regathered, a winged humanoid mecha flew down and landed in front of them.

"Mission Accepted." The pilot of the Winged mobile suit acknowledged as Roger recognized his voice.

"Hey! It's that Lowe guy!" Bit called out while the smoke cleared to reveal the mostly unharmed zord.

"That was my codename." The pilot stated, "From this point on, my name is Heero Yuy."

"Heero Yuy!" Shiro cried out over the comm in shock and amazement.

"Heero Yuy..." Roger had heard things about this man...most of them weren't very pleasant.

"At the moment however, my identity and name remains irrelevant compared to the adversary before us." Heero commented as his winged mobile suit propelled itself into the air and fired another round from it's buster rifle which was soundly parted around the white zord, "I recommend that you regather your strength now."

"And who the hell do you think you are bossing us around?"

"At the moment, I am your shield from death." Heero told Van while he flew off as Cyclopsis slowly followed, "Make the best of it."

"Heero..." Bit muttered to himself as the winged mobile suit flew out of sight, "I've heard of him before..."

"Aniki! Can you hear us?" Simon cried out as Gurren Lagann helped the damaged Eva to it's feet, "Thanks for covering for us, Shinji."

"Looks like the team's back together again!" Bit exclaimed as they watched Heero's Winged Gundam fire beam after beam from the gundam's buster rifle while flying in a circle around the zoid, keeping a safe distance at the same time as well.

"What's this?" Van asked as he and everyone else saw a signal light on their consoles, "Shinji's sending out a signal to form Mecha Lord."

* * *

"Break the lock!" Mokuba commanded while most of the bridge looked at him as though he had no idea about what he was talking about.

"Sir..."

"Do as he says," Seto stated, amused that his little brother was about to do something really useful, "If this screws up, it's all on him..."

"Final Fusion authorized!"

"Yes sir..." A cute bridge bunny acknowledge while typing away on her keyboard, "Final Fusion...PROGRAM LOCK DISENGAGED!" She slammed her hand into a glass-protected button, bringing up a sequence of screens that Seto knew Mokuba had to have put in for a moment like this.

"I better not regret this."

"You won't." Mokuba assured his brother as the two brothers sat back to watch the real show.

* * *

**Damn it! Stop cutting away!**

"Everyone up for it? Then let em rip!" Simon took his drill core and slammed it into it's console, watching as the spiral indicator turned green in preparation for the combine.

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

Big-O blew out it's pistons as its legs were brought into it's body to form a chest-piece and arms for Eva to fit on.

Liger Zero roared as it combined it's legs together and became a set of legs for Eva to leap into and connect with and allowed Panzer's parts to form into additional armor and thrusters facing forward along the legs.

Escaflowne turned into a draconic shape that wrapped around Eva's waist and melded into the Unit to form into upper legs and lower torso armor complete with a draconic tail.

Gurren Lagann leapt up and landed on the Eva to form flame detailed shoulder plates on Eva's arms and an armor piece that grew down over Eva's exposed back and upper chest. A mass of red spiral energy covered over Eva's head and faded into a red helmet that bore a crescant shaped emblem on the front of the helm that lightly connected with the original horn of Eva.

"Mecha Breaker Lord. Activate!" Born from the flames of manliness, a volcano exploded behind it as the Mecha roared to life.

* * *

"Final Fusion Success!" The bridge bunny announced while the crew cheered in celebration.

"Glad you finished something."

"Shut up Seto like you could do better!"

"My blue eyes white jet could..." Hearing a very disrespectful sound, Seto pulled out a trading card and counted every employee in the Command Center, "Who snickered?"

* * *

**Mecha Breaker Lord Operations Deck  
**

"Well this was unexpected..."

"Simon! You're okay!" Nia estatically jumped into Simon's arms as the rest of the crew, except Kamina and Shinji, remained shocked as to how she was in this cockpit.

"Nia!" Simon returned the hug, but looked in the direction of Unit 01's pilot for answers as to how his sweatheart ended up in Mecha Lord.

"Sorry Simon..." Shinji apologized as he gritted his teeth, "I didn't have a choice in the matter..."

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"Nia...if this is a joke-"

"It's not Hikari." Nia said to the older Class Representative, "You said yourself that anyone born after Second Impact can pilot Eva right?"

"Right..." Hikari answered, wishing that Nia hadn't remembered that conversation.

"Shinji is 15, Simon is 13, and I'm the same age as Simon which means that I was born after Second Impact, and that means I can pilot."

"Not by yourself-"

"The hell you are!" Shinji objected from the open cockpit of Eva, "Nia! This isn't like a gunman! Eva will take more than it will give!"

"But you are unable to activate it on your own, no?" Nia directly asked, leaving Shinji unable to talk further, "Even then, your condition is very serious. If anything happened to you, Simon would be sad."

"Nia-"

"And Simon's in danger! So I'm going to help you to help him!" Nia cried out, Hikari knew that Simon had something to do with her plan. Ever since she saw that technician's phone...she had been silent, thinking about this course of action, "Hikari...I know that you are only acting because you're worried about Shinji, but right now, we have to help our friends."

"Nia..." Hikari knew that Nia had a good point, but...somehow, it didn't sit well with Nia. Not just because she was a little child going into warzone, but... "This going to be dangerous..."

"I know." Nia's hands were clenched and her skin was at least a complexion paler than normal, "That's why I'm going with Shinji. So either you let me go with him or we both let him go by himself."

"Just...just be careful..." Hikari said in defeat, and felt a gentle hand grab her's once again, "What?"

"Well come on!" Nia encouraged as she led the older girl towards the catwalks, "You have to say it to him." Hikari felt blood run through her checks as Nia led her along the catwalk and right up to the portion leading to the open cockpit of Evangelion ANIMA.

"Nia...I already told you-"

"How about we pilot it together?" Nia suggested while Shinji visibly shook while shifting his gaze from the cockpit to Nia, "Can Eva use two pilots?"

"Yeah...but I don't think-"

"It's settled!" Without warning, Nia let go of Hikari and jumped into the cockpit before anyone could object.

"No way..." The technician stared on as Eva's eyes flared with life and a nearby chart read that Eva was ready for launch,"Eva just activated!"

"She can't ignore two people I guess." Nia smiled and for some reason, Shinji did as well. Come to think of it, when the two of them were this close together..."Now let's go help Simon."

"Nia..." Apparently Shinji shared Hikari's concerns for a few different reasons, "You don't even know how-"

"Exactly, I'll make sure the link between you and Eva is strong." Nia assured the disbelieving pilot, "You can worry about piloting it, okay?"

"Have I already said how crazy both of you are?"

"Yes." The two pilots answered at the same time, causing Hikari to blush at how cute the antic was.

"Just make it back alive, alright?" Hikari asked, knowing that nothing she did would tell these two not to go through with this plan. "And don't tell me not to be worried Shinji. If you don't come back...I'll miss you."

"Hikari..."

"And don't tell me that I shouldn't!" Stunned at her volume, Hikari didn't have any resistance when she wrapped her arms around the young man going out to battle, "Good luck..."

"We won't be long then." Shinji returned the hug, slowly, but in a caring way. If the hanger hadn't suddenly shaken, neither one would have wanted to break off the hug.

"Take care of him Nia..." Hikari waved as the pilot capsule slid shut and Eva was shifted back onto the launch system.

"E-ANIMA! Engage!"

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Kids..." Bit chuckled after the explanation was laid out, "Was I ever that dumb? Right...of course I was."

"Nothing we can do about it now." Van stated as if he was no stranger to uninvited allies, "We'll discuss this little problem later."

"Right." "By the way, shouldn't we focus on that thing?"

"Correct." Roger agreed, "Nia...thanks for helping, but let us handle things alright?"

"Alright Mr. Smith." Nia said as she jumped out of Shinji's seat and sat down next to Simon before abruptly passing out against his chest.

"Nia!"

"Don't worry, she's just exhausted..." Shinji assured the worried boy, "I'm sorry about that..."

"What good would that do?" Van brought up, "She made her choice to help you, honor it by not regretting it."

"In a way...I'm kind of glad she's here..." Simon said while rubbing the check of his resting sweat heart.

"Kind of?" Bit inquired with a smirk, "Don't you think you sound a bit ungrateful?"

"That's not what I-"

"You have replenished your resources?" Heero asked over the comm as his winged mobile suit landed next to Mecha Breaker Lord. It was still in decent shape, but had taken some damage, "Then we should focus our efforts and pool knowledge."

"So...that's seven in all?" Kamina inquired, his teeth itching to get back into the action, "With odds like that, how can we lose?"

"By not heeding the golden creed. Eliminate all obstacles."

"You kidding? That's what I've been doing my whole life!"

"You tell him bro," Simon smirked before reaching out his fist to Shinji, "Good to have you back, Aniki."

"I'm glad to be back." Shinji said as he slowly reciprocated Simon's fist bump, "Now lets give this guy a proper tour of our fists."

"We have a lady amongst us." Roger observed as though no one else had noticed, "Shall we give her a show?"

**_"Cast in the Name of God...Ye Not Guilty."_**

"Mecha Breaker Lord. Action!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**For the record, consider Cyclopsis a sort of "Wake-Up Call Boss", kind of like he was in that Power Rangers episode where he demolished the Megazord, Dragonzord and Dragonzord Battle Mode.**

**This time, most of it's abilities are pretty well in-line with the zord's canon abilities...but I...might have exaggerated one or two of them...  
**


	11. Bow or Stand pt 2

**Defense Force Hanger**

"How does it look out there?" DF Lieutenant Kou Uraki asked one of the technicians working on his personal mobile suit.

"Yuy just flew in!" The techie replied, "We might not be needed between him and the Rangers!"

"Don't count on it!" Kou cried up, "How long until I'm ready to go?"

"Fifteen minutes sir!"

"You've got five!" The techie just went back to work while Kou surveyed the line of damaged mobile suits on the opposite wall. Most of which were obsolete models, so Kou wasn't surprised about their condition.

If only Kaiba wasn't too cheap to buy more newer models...

The former Federation Ace was pulled out of thought when a bouncy white and red blur slid into his side and flipped him onto the metal floor.

"I'm so sorry sir!" The blur apologized when she knelt down to the ace, "Are you Kou Udaki?"

"It's Uraki! And I'm fine." Kou stated as he pushed himself and faced the young girl with a bandage wrapped in her hair, "Who are you?"

"Sir! Noriko Takaya reporting for duty!" The girl answered with the enthusiasm of a rookie in boot camp.

"Noriko Takaya?" The girl just nodded in reply while Kou regarded the girl with mild intrigue, "Looks like you just walked on today..."

"Correct sir!"

"How old are you Noriko?"

"I...I don't remember sir...16?"

"I don't know, I'd say you'd pass for 14." Yep, Kou had heard this story before. Young kid wants to be a hero so they pretend to be older or play the "I don't remember card."

"Guess I'm 14 sir." The girl happily answered, she really didn't remember did she?

"Then you'll have to escorted out," Kou stated as he grabbed the girl's arm, "The minimum age for application is 16 with guardian permission, 18 without."

"Why would the enemy care?" Noriko asked as she struggled pretty well against Kou's attempts to drag her off, "They'd kill me just the same!"

"Good point, but I'm not about to let a child go out to war on my watch..."

"You mean like you're doing with Shinji and Simon?" Kou had heard this argument before and he knew exactly what was next, "Simon's even younger than me and I don't see anyone objecting!"

"How do you know them?"

"Not personally sir..." Noriko admitted, "They're friends with my roommate..."

"Roommate?"

"Hikari Horaki sir!" The girl answered loudly, why the enthusiasm? "I met her while she was touring Okinawa and kept in touch! She was my penpal until we were both transferred here-"

"Okay, too much info." If he gave the girl the chance, Kou was sure that she'd tell him her entire life story, "I don't know the full story, but those two are special cases...Even then...do I look like an idiot?"

"Sir?" Noriko looked confused and afraid that she had done something wrong.

"You're a 14 year old girl." Kou pointed out as he loosened his hold on the girl, "Does anyone around here look like they shouldn't be in a mobile suit?"

"No..." Noriko used her free hand to fiddle with her bandana as she looked down.

"Do you really think..." Kou really hated to make the girl feel bad, but he had to get this point across, "That I would allow a teenager who has never piloted a mobile suit to jump into this battle and possibly get herself killed along with all of my friends? Do I look that stupid?"

"No..." She was trying, but failing horribly to hold back tears.

"Don't cry..." Kou released his grip and grabbed the girl's shoulders as she kept tearing up, "Besides, it's the Commander's call, please stop crying..."

"I'm sorry..." Noriko apologized with her arms still on her side, "I just really want to help protect my friends..."

"Come on..." Kou hated to admit it, but he was really bad about getting the point across in a way that didn't offend, "Please don't do this now..."

"What's going on?" Kou and Noriko straightened up and turned to face the Commander, "What's all of this about Udaki?"

"Just a mix-up sir, and it's Uraki!"

"At ease, Lieutenant." Amada stated and then turned to the still tearful girl, "What's wrong Noriko?"

"He said...that I was too young..." The girl said while wiping away tears and trying to look tough, "I'm sorry for making you look like an idiot..."

"Please stop crying..." Kou muttered before catching the former MS Commander's glance, "Don't give me that look Shiro..."

"If I didn't think she had heart and spirit, I wouldn't have sent her down here."

"But she's never even piloted a mobile suit!"

"Neither did I." Shiro stated, "Or pretty much anyone in the corp and look where we are."

"Sir..." It was pretty easy to forget about one's roots. Unlike most others in the force, Kou had been trained to pilot mobile suits before sitting in one.

"Put her with the Arc J's."

"Yes sir." Kou replied as Shiro smiled and turned back towards his own mobile suit, "You heard the Commander, follow me."

"Really!" Noriko's tears evaporated as a look of determination crossed over her features, "Thank you sir! I won't let you down!"

"Better not." Kou lightly warned while leading the girl along, "The controls will probably look like it, but don't forget that there's no reset button on this game..."

"Why would I think that it's a game?" The girl asked with a smile, but her eyes gave out another story.

"You're sharper then I thought." Then again, that was why Shiro was the people-person and the Commander, "There's hope for you yet, cadet."

"Cadet?"

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing official." Kou clarified, "Just a force of habit from the old days."

"What old days?"

"When people killing people was the worst thing we had to worry about."

* * *

**Angel Groove District 29**

"Interesting..." A silver haired man watched the distant battle with raised intrigue, "Will you be able to find the enemy's weakness?"

"Hey Secs! The burgers are ready!" One of the man's new apartment-mates called out from a window on a lower level.

"That's not how you say his name."

"Then how do you say it Kiva?"

"It's pronounced as Zechs-"

"Don't care! Hungry for burgers! You coming pal?"

"I'll be down shortly!" The man called down and pulled the scope back up to his eye. What truly caught his interest was the winged gundam using it's shield to block one of the mecha's attacks, "Heero Yuy, it looks like destiny will cross our paths again."

* * *

**Mecha Breaker Lord**

"Momma...Where is my momma..."

"Nia?"

"I'm fine Simon." Nia muttered as Breaker Lord blocked one of Cyclopsis' punches and delivered one into the Zord's chest and blew out a piston to blast Cyclopsis back.

"No you're not." Simon knew his friend way too well, "Come on Nia..."

"Don't worry about me-" Nia gasped and grit her teeth as she bent over and held onto Simon while her whole body shook uncontrollably.

"Nia!" Suddenly the outside battle didn't really matter. Simon slung an arm around his sweetheart and held her as firmly as he could. Outside, Breaker Lord was pushed back when it's barrier repealed a beam attack from Cyclopsis' horn as Gundam Wing flew down and sliced into the zord's right shoulder.

"Hold on Nia..." Shinji said as Nia tightened her hold on Simon, "Just remember that what your feeling isn't real..."

"Shinji...whats wrong with her?" Simon asked as the gundam was slung onto it's back and punched in it's chest, cracking the green gem in the gundam's chest.

"She'll...need some medical help..." Simon's eyes fell at seeing Nia in this state, "It's nothing major...just expected..." Breaker Lord leapt out and pulled out it's sword to slash across the zord's chest and allow the gundam to sit back up.

"Does...Eva do this to everyone?" Breaker Lord clashed it's sword against Cyclopsis' wrist-blades, actually managing to break one before another regrew in it's place.

"Everyone who pilots?" Shinji sat back and thought about the answer carefully, "It depends..." Breaker Lord stabbed it's sword through Cyclopsis' torso and slashed out as it knelt down. Not moving as a beam of energy punched into Cyclopsis wound and blasted the zoid back and creating an explosion as Breaker Lord stood up.

"Here's a good question." Van said as Wing Gundam walked up to Breaker Lord's side, "How come we haven't gotten an upper hand yet?"

"That is strange..." Roger admitted as Cyclopsis climbed out of the newly made crater and started stalking towards it's opponents, "We have the zord outnumbered and outgunned, but it's still holding it's own."

"Likely due to it's Adaptive AI." Heero suggested as Wing Gundam reloaded it's rifle while keeping it's shield raised, "Zero detects that the warzord may have one equipped. That is how it is able to maintain tactical footing against our combined ability.

"Not for long!" Bit yelled as a series of missile launchers and grenade pods opened up along Breaker Lord's legs, "Paybacks a bitch, isn't it!" The Mecha Lord was shifted back when a payload of missiles and machine gun weaponry fired out and covered the warzord before it could react.

"Calm down Bit." Roger said as he really noticed the unusual mood that Bit was in.

"Sorry..." Bit stated as his barraged ended to leave Cyclopsis in a rather brittle state, "This guy caught me at a bad time!" Breaker Lord reached down and grabbed two cannons which attached to it's arms and fired them in Cyclopsis' direction as Wing Gundam joined in with it's buster rifle.

"Target energy reading dropping." Heero reported as they saw the now hornless warzord stand forlorn, barely able to take another step forward. The sight was pitiful, as though it was using every once of determination just to stay standing...

"Let's push it down further!" Shinji cried as Breaker Lord produced a helix-topped lance that it threw it at damaged zord and the rangers watched as the lance drove straight through it's chest while a orange force field pushed into the resultant hole and caused the zord to go completely limp as it continued to stand.

"Shinji..."

"I know..." Shinji sat back in his seat while the team just shook their heads at his pointless brutality, "I'll never become a saint."

"Okay." Heero answered as Wing Gundam fired another beam from it's cannon that went through the large hole and encompassed the warzord.

"Thing that got it." Roger affirmed as they watched the beam break down the zord, "Thanks for the help Kamina."

"Don't sweat it." That was when a bright object flew down from the sky and dispelled Wing Gundam's attack when it struck through Cyclopsis' barely intact head, "What was that?"

"Alright...who jinxed it?"

* * *

**Command Center**

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

"Because you jinxed it Seto..."

"Shut up Mokuba!" Kaiba ordered his younger brother, "It was a valid question."

"Some things are best left unquestioned-"

"Shut up Optimus!" The younger Kaiba said to the cybernetic head floating in his cylinder.

"But if questions are never answered then how will we ever-"

"Shut up Rossiu!" Optimus said to the young boy who had somehow found his way to the Command Center.

"As a junior cadet, I believe that-"

"Shut up Weasley!" Rossiu barked as he slapped the cadet hard enough to make him cry, "No one cares what you think!"

* * *

**With the team**

"What did we just see?"

"A glowing object that always recharges the enemy." Roger answered Kamina, "And we still can't figure out where they're coming from."

"I don't see a problem." Heero brought up as his gundam stood by awaiting any changes.

"You usually don't until the last minute..." Bit pointed out as a dim light flowed over the damaged warzord while it's head remained staked by the light object that now appeared to be a spear of some sort.

"Just stay alert." Roger suggested, "There's no way to know just whats about to come our way."

"Then why are we waiting for it?" At Kamina's urging, Breaker Lord pulled out it's sunglasses and threw them at the still zord, pinning it's arms against the air, "FINISHING MOVE!"

"GIGGGAAA..." Breaker Lord held up it's arm and formed a drill over it that soon grew into a larger one, "DRRRIIIILLLL BRREAAAAKEEERRRR!" Rocketing into motion, Breaker Lord guided it's drill towards Cyclopsis and thrust it's weapon into the warzord.

And was held off by the Warzord's crossed arms and it's regrown horn, in addition to the white spikes that sprang back on either side of Cyclopsis' head. It swiped it's arms across, shattering the glowing drill to the shock of the entire team.

"WHAT?" Kamina yelled in outrage as Breaker Lord fell backwards and regarded the reformed zord as it stood with it's arms crossed daring the Rangers to attack, "Is is just an off day for us, huh Simon?"

"Yeah...let's just go with that..." Simon muttered, stunned that the drill that was meant to pierce the heavens couldn't even pierce this damn mecha.

As the team recovered from their shock, Cyclopsis stood in place as the pieces of the shattered drill flew up and launched out at Breaker Lord. The Mecha Lord held out it's arm to produce a field in order to halt the shards, but the remnants of the drills formed themselves into smaller drills that punched through the field and barraged both Breaker Lord and Wing Gundam.

"Heero!" Van cried out as both mecha fell to the ruined floor and Breaker Lord struggled to get up, "Heero! Respond! Are you alive?"

"My rifle's power is close to exhaustion." Heero responded as his gundam knelt down due to it's damaged leg and used held up it's shield in time for it to deflect a beam that fired out of Cyclopsis' shoulder, "My recommendation is to fall back and regroup."

"Well who died and made you king?" Bit argued as Breaker Lord ground itself into the floor and ducked under the large piece of a building that had been thrown at it.

"That would be you unless you listen to your common sense." Heero answered as the zord charged and simueltaneously engaged to the two mecha with it's enlarged wrist-swords while the team fought back in a deadly duel where one slip up would mean death.

* * *

**District 25**

"XLRMega has logged in." Naota read out while sitting in the living room with his laptop in his lap, "Awesome! Hey Eri! We've got the whole party online!"

"I saw it!" Eri answered from her bedroom, "Suberu...Tsukasa...ManSecs...been awhile since we've had the whole party..."

"Well what the hell are you waiting for?" If they waited too long, then Naota knew that they would most likely be locked out of the TOR servers.

"I'm coming!"

"It'll be a few more minutes..." Naota muttered to Kanti who was sitting at the table with his own red laptop, "By the way, why is your name AtomAnt?"

"It's Game Over man!" Some college guy whined as he ran into Naota's open apartment door, "We've gotta get out of here man!"

"Why?" Naota asked while Kanti briefly looked out the window and pointed to the explosion in the distance.

"The hell is wrong with you people!" Hudson yelled, "The battle's about to come into this district!"

"And?" Naota asked annoyed that this wimp had bothered him, "We're having a pajama TOR party!"

"Who's still playing around here with-"

"About 50,000 people." Ninamori answered as she walked into the living room and raised an eyebrow when Hudson noticed her, "What?"

"Is that all you wear to bed?" Hudson asked when he saw that the girl was only wearing a t-shirt and...yeah, what looks like shorts but could also pass for...

"Yeah...problem?"

"Aren't you a little young to-" Hudson was cut off however when he was thrust into the opposite wall and was pinned to it by Naota's foot.

"Then why are you looking?" Naota dangerously asked while Hudson just gulped and breathed to try and calm himself.

"I'm leaving now," Hudson said as the teen pulled off his leg and the college graduate just started running down the hall to the stairs, "Enjoy the agonizing death!"

"Will do!" Naota called back before walking back into the apartment and grumbling at how Eri had stolen his spot, "Everyone's still logged in?"

"Yep." Eri answered without even turning from her laptop and Naota was trying very hard not to get too hung up on her..."pajamas".

"Lets play some KOTOR." Naota sat down but couldn't start playing because a certain girl was now sitting in his lap.

"It's called the Old Republic." Eri corrected to Naota's annoyance.

"Same thing." Naota answered back.

"No it's not! KOTOR was a silly one-player-"

"Bullshit! KOTOR was the greatest RPG of all time!"

"Of it's time! The plot was too linear to give a damn about!"

"I don't see your precious Fable getting any game of the year awards!"

"Like your precious Dragon Age II?"

"No! No! We're not going over that again!"

"Single Player games are the past! MMORPG's allow you to connect to other people!"

"You're still just playing pretend on a computer! It doesn't make any impact on real life!"

"If you don't like it then why are you playing?"

"I wanna see if Revan comes back!"

"After 200 years? Don't kid yourself Naota!"

"If Indiana Jones can survive a nuclear blast with a fridge-"

"Oh here we go!"

"What? I liked that movie!"

So the two teens went at it again while Kanti waited for the load screen to finish. Since those two would probably chew each other out before jumping on each other to do "Stuff", Kanti just ignored the pair while carefully monitoring the battle in the distance.

And keeping a look out for that black spider.

* * *

**Back to the Action!**

"I have a plan." Roger said as a heavily damaged Breaker Lord crouched behind a broken set of buildings, "Heero, you mentioned something about it's Adaptive AI?"

"Correct." Heero answered from his one winged and one armed gundam, "Zero determined that this Warzord is equipped with an archaic learning computer."

"Learning computer?"

"Sounds like the Ultimate X system that Liger has."

"It's similar, but it acts at a faster pace." Heero clarified for Bit, "The system appears designed to literally alter the zord according to conditions that it faces in battle."

"Like increasing it's armor strength..." Van said to himself, "It's speed...what it uses against us...it makes sense..."

"What do we do then?" Bit asked as the sensors showed Cyclopsis coming closer to their position. Not that hiding was a lasting solution in the first place.

"Overload it. It is a fast system, but it isn't perfect." Roger stated to the team, "Notice how it never makes an endearing counterattack until after a few moments."

"Say that again?" Shinji stated since he was in a slight daze from the beating that the mecha had received for a while.

"Hold on..." Simon thought to himself, "He's right! That Zord needs time to adapt and stuff! If we keep switching our plan then we'll overload it!"

"Not just change plans!" Kamina called out from under Simon, "We've gotta switch up our combining scheme!"

"Kamina?" Somehow, Roger knew that he probably wouldn't like where this train of thought was likely to go.

"Simon! Split us up!"

* * *

**Command Center**

"Please tell me that I didn't just hear that..."

"You did brother. This makes sense though-"

"Shut up Mokuba."

* * *

**Back to the Action! Again...**

"Are you sure about this?" Heero asked from his gundam, "Zero calculates a .000251 chance of success."

"Is that a zero?" Kamina asked with his arms crossed while the warzord just waited for their next move.

"No."

"Then we have a shot!"

"Everyone! Emergency Separation!" Roger ordered as he and the others punched a glass protected button that initiated the emergency separation. From it's joints and crevices, a blue substance shot out and formed into an orb of blue liquid that swirled around Mecha Breaker Lord and Wing Gundam.

Cyclopsis fired twin lighting blasts at the orb, but could not penetrate it. So the zord stood and watched as it grew larger and disappeared, leaving three mecha in the place of two.

"Big Lag-O!" Simon and Roger called from Big-O's that now had grown larger arms and now sported a red flame along the elongated shoulders.

"Liger Zero Escaflow!" Bit and Van cried within Liger which was now covered over by a draconic armor that came complete with bladed wings that were attached to Panzer's cannons.

"Wing Gurren Evan!" Kamina roared from within the changed Evangelion. Eva stood up onto it's feet with Gurren acting as chest armor and a Gundanium alloy pauldrons and upper back armor that had wings attached to them.

"Okay..." Bit stated within the controls of his zoid and noted on how...organic some of them looked, "This wasn't what I had in mind."

"You and me both." Van seconded from inside his cockpit, whose screen was littered with too many targeting recticles and statistics that the Fanelian King saw little need for, "How do you keep track of all of this stuff."

"I thought Eva couldn't have wings." Shinji stated while he looked over the interface of his cockpit and looked over the schematics.

"Says who!" Kamina yelled from under Shinji.

"Actually, the wings come from my gundam and that's attached to Kamina's gunman." Heero explained from behind and below Shinji.

"So everyone's confused as hell?" Kamina asked across the intercom, "Perfect!"

"Bro?" Simon asked in the familiar setting of Lagann's cockpit as he sat above Roger, "How is that gonna help us? And where's Nia?"

"She's with me Simon." Shinji answered through the comm, "I don't know either..."

"And if we don't know, then that rip-off won't either!" Kamina stated as the three fused mecha stood off against the warzord.

"So the plan is to figure out our strengths and abilities as we go along?"

"Exactly!" Kamina roared as Wing Gurren Evan (WGE) furled out it's wings, "Simon! Take the first shot!"

"Got it Bro! Ready Roger?"

"As ready as ever! Big Lag-O...Action!" Big Lag-O charged towards the warzord with both arms formed into large drills. It's drills were just inches from the warzord before Cyclopsis' telepathic abilities halted the megadues in place.

Lag-O's drills began to spin as the pistons in it's arms punched out and back in, striking the air and forcing back the warzord from the sheer pressure that it faced. It then opened up it's right arm and opened fire with it's Thunder Drill Gatling Cannon as Lag-O's form-arm rotated rapdily and began to fire massive energy bullets out of the barrells behind the hand.

If they hit the zord then their drill-like structures dug into the zord's armor. If they were halted by a telepathic burst, then the bullets fired out smaller drills that would explode when they hit something.

"Next up! Liger Zero!" Bit called out as the zord flapped it's wings and soared into the air, "We can fly?"

"You can fly?" Roger asked in surprise.

"You can fly!" Simon and Simon cried out in renewed excitement.

"You can fly..." Heero noted with mild interest.

"You can fly." Shinji said unsurprised but truly content for his friends.

"We can fly!" Van affirmed as Liger dove down and drove it's wings forward and thrust them into the zord's back just as Lag-O drove a fist into it's chest. Liger then skid down in front of Cyclopsis and opened fire with a twin pair of energy rounds from the barrels mounted on the zord's draconic armor.

"So can I!" Kamina yelled as Eva was thrown into the action and charged it's head into Cyclopsis' torso and threw it back across the area, "Give em hell Shinji!"

"Unknown substance has replenished my rifle..." Heero reported as WGE pulled out a buster rifle from the back of it's wing pack, "Is that Spiral Power?"

"Nah...it's the manly fighting spirit drawn from the three...four of us!"

"Good enough for me!" Shinji cried as Eva pulled the trigger and fired a massive beam of orange outlined green energy that spiraled towards Cyclopsis and encompassed it just as Liger and Lag-O moved out of the way.

"Watch it! You almost hit us!" Bit yelled as Cyclopsis was pushed away and an explosion flew up in the form of a cross.

"Wow...Why is it shaped like a cross?"

"Really?" Simon asked Bit and then noticed the explosion's shape, "Come to think of it-"

"Can we not start this now!" Shinji yelled, "Eva probably thought that it was shiny, so lets go with that!"

"What if it's some sort of symbolism for-"

"I said we're not getting into that!"

"Alright Shinji, you don't have to raise your voice..." Shinji immediately felt bad when he remembered that Nia was sitting in his console.

"Sorry Nia..." The girl just smiled, apparently starting to feel better from her mood earlier.

"That was quick." Bit noted after the explosion dissipated and the three mecha stood in front of the crater trailing off towards where the Warzord was launched. "Good plan Kamina!"

"Heh!" Kamina raised his arms over the back of his head and whistled, "Who does this guy think he is-" Just then, a white blur launched out and punched into the WGE's lower torso and emitted an energy beam that slashed out through Eva's back as Kamina yelled out in pain.

"Bro! Aniki!" Simon cried out as his eyes widened from hearing Nia's screams of pain as well, "NIA!"

"Simon! Focus!" Roger called up as the ground beneath Lag-O shifted and formed into circular wall that began to crush the megadeus.

"Hell no!" Liger slashed through the rock formation to free the damaged megadues before it started opening fire on where sensors indicated where Cyclopsis was. "You guys alright?"

"We're fine..." Roger answered as Liger turned to hold the line against the approaching warzord and leapt to the side to avoid a series of lightning blasts.

_"I will never fall again..."_ A low voice stated from the zord as it's arm levitated back to it's shoulder and melded back into place, _"AEEETTTHHEERRR!" _The Warzord instantly rushed out towards the zord and punched it in the head before it could react and bounded off to avoid a punch from Lag-O and kicked into the side of the Red and Black mecha to launch it into the air before firing a blast from it's forehead...

* * *

**Command Center**

"Maybe we should...Do something!"

"You're right Mokuba!" Seto agreed before pointing to his aide, "You there, do something!"

"Yes sir!" The man pointed to a bridge bunny, "Do something!"

"Do something!" The bridge bunny cried to a technician.

"DO SOMETHING!" The technician yelled into the intercom.

**"Delightful...The screams of my slayers gives me such ease..."**

"What did I tell you about speaking!" Kaiba was really starting to hate the shiny black orb in the room, "And who brought you in here anyway?"

**"You believe that because I lack physical form, you are safe from the POWER OF MY WILL?"**

"Seto, we're gonna have to find something to do with Deathwing's eldunari-"

"No you're going to try to install it into Escaflowne..."

"Darn!" Mokuba snapped his fingers in disappointment, "How did you know?"

"You just told me." Seto pointed out, "That and I still have personal copies of all of the other projects that you and Suberu have thought of."

**"I already smell the blood from their inevitable deaths!"**

"No one's bleeding yet!"

"Well I'm not waiting around to find out!" Mokuba ran over to the control consel and pulled out a blue and white phone, "Arc Troopers deploy!"

* * *

**District 32**

"Just take a deep breath Nia..." Shinji watched Nia grip her chest as her face held a wide-eyed expression of terror and shock, "I know it doesn't feel like it...but you're alright..."

"I'm alright...I'm alright..." The girl said to herself, but Shinji knew that she didn't believe her own words.

"Kamina? Heero?" Shinji called out to the others as Wing Gurren Evan pushed itself up onto it's feet.

"I believe that my left leg has been broken." Heero answered in an "as a matter of fact" tone, "Apart from that, I am sound."

"Don't worry about me Shinji." Kamina assured despite the slash in the side of his chest, "It's gonna take more than a poke in the ribs to take me down!"

"Simon I need you up there!" Roger cried within the cockpit to his megadues. Behind him, he could hear Simon listening to the intercomm for the others.

"Nia..." It didn't take much for the Negotiator to see what was bothering the usually upbeat child. He was apparently terribly worried for Nia...he didn't blame the young boy.

"I understand, but you have to be strong if you want to help her." Roger encouraged, knowing enough about gunman to know that he would need Simon at his best spirits if Lag-O was going to make it through this fight.

"I...I get it!" Simon answered and then called through the comm for another pair, "Bit! Van!"

"We're good!" Bit assured despite having a single wing fall out of place and one of Liger's eyes had been broken.

"Speak for yourself..."

"Come on! You can take it King!"

"Incoming!" Liger leapt back to avoid Cyclopsis' shot-out arms and fired a retaliation shot at the warzord's arm. But the attack was dissipated by an unseen field as the zord fired a lightning attack from it's shoulders that blasted back the fuzed zoid.

WGE, still holding it's torso, fired a blast from it's rifle that dissipated when it a barrier in front of the zord and small crystal sparks flowed into Cyclopsis and various remnants of damage faded away.

When WGE ceased, Lag-O launched out a series of drilled chains that were halted by Cyclopsis' telepathic skills and were thrown back into the megadeus' torso and it collapsed onto it's back.

"Simon! I know you can give more!"

"I'm trying!" Simon called down, but Roger recognized the subtle hint of doubt in Simon's voice.

"Stop trying and do!" Roger didn't want to sound harsh, but he had a family to get back to and he needed Simon at his best to do that, "Watch it!"

"Get off of Simon!" Nia yelled as Eva emitted an orange barrier between it and the warzord as it hobbled back onto it's feet, "I'm alright Simon! And so's Shinji and Kamina and Mr. Yui."

"It's Yuy."

"I'm sorry." Nia apologized as Eva leapt down in front of Lag-O alongside Liger and opened fired with their attacks which were redirected by Cyclopsis' barrier despite pushing back the warzord.

As the beam struggle continued, Lag-O stood up alongside the others and punched it's arms together as a massive cannon fired a spiral shaped blast from it's chest that conjoined the previous three attacks and together they struggled against the warzord.

"That's more like it Simon!" Roger commended as the struggle continued with the odds tipping into their favor.

"Sorry everyone..." Simon apologized, "Today's been a real off day!"

"We all have them, aniki." Shinji assured the younger boy, "Least your's wasn't a week-long...or longer..." Assured, the three mecha continued their combined assault while Cyclopsis was held at bay.

Until the ground around it rose into an earth-like barrier which deflected the attacks. But despite seeing that their attacks had been deflected, the team found themselves unable to cease their assault until after their weapons had been completely depleted.

"What just happened?" Roger asked as Simon tried to get back power but found minimal success.

"It...forced us to us all of our energy..." Bit uttered in shock as Liger slumped down, too exhausted to even roar in protest.

"Bullshit! I've still got all of my limbs so I'm ready to kick some ass!" Kamina called out from the back of Wing Gurren Evan while Shinji looked through the manual for the emergency back-up controls.

"Well this is a bust..." Bit noted as Cyclopsis lifted the three zords into the air and blasted them with a series of lightning blasts as their powerless states left them unable to counter.

"Inazuma...KKKIIIICCCCCKKKK!" Faster than it could say, what?, a gray blur clashed against Cyclopsis' head and caused it to skid backwards while it's attacker fell onto it's back.

"Interesting?" Heero noted as the newcomer's thrusters activated and put the mobile suit back into an upright position as it fell back onto it's feet with it's arms folded over it's chest.

"That's as far AS YOU GO!"

"Noriko?" Shinji asked, recognizing the voice coming from the dark gray mobile suit that had just saved them, "You're part of the defense force?"

"Just joined today!" Noriko cried as Cyclopsis stood up from the ground and faced the new-come mobile suit, "They even gave me my own custom Jegan!"

"Jegan?" Bit asked, "Isn't that a Federation model?"

"They had a surplus and sold it." None of the rangers seemed to surprised from Noriko's answer, "By the way, what is a surplus?"

"Watch out!" Nia cried out as Cyclopsis thrust it's arm into the jegan and pushed it back across the city district as the mobile suit clumsily ski across the ground.

Cyclopsis then thrust out it's arms and fired a green beam from it's forehead that blasted out towards the mobile suit.

"BUSSSTTEERR BEEEAMMM!" Noriko's jegan punched it's fists together and fired a golden beam from it's crowned emblem that clashed with Cyclopsis' and both attacks diverted each other and caused two different explosions on opposite sides of the district, "That all you got!"

"Don't get cocky rookie!" Another Jegan fired a series of cables that latched around Cyclopsis' head and pulled it down to it's shoulder as an electric discharge covered over the warzord.

"Like you were any better Chuck!" Another Jegan leapt down and slashed it's beam-laced double sword across the zord's back before the warzord levitated the mobile suit up and threw it back after cutting off the cables that had held it.

"Why don't you old-timers sit back!" The pilot of a Chobham armored dark blue and white MS stated as it fired it's beam rifle into the back of the warzord's leg and knocked it off balance while the Rangers noticed the arriving group of mobile suits.

* * *

**Cockpit of the Defense Force Commander**

"Cut the chatter!" Ordered the Pilot of the Ez-8 Ground MS as he looked over the names of the gathered group completely comprised of GM's with two exceptions, "Recon Leader Shiro Amada to Arc Troopers, all Arcs report in!"

"Arc 10 Matt Healy standing by!"

"Arc 7 Def Stallion standing by!"

"Arc 3 Christina Wiseman standing by!"

"Arc 6 Bergh Scred standing by!"

"Arc 9 Chuck Keith standing by!"

"Arc 2 Hathaway Noah standing by!"

"Arc 11 Riddehe Marcenas standing by!"

"Oh! Arc 5 Noriko Takaya standing by!"

"Arc Leader Kou Uraki here!" Kou called in from a white and blue mobile suit with two Universal Booster Pods on the backpack. "Arcs! Engage the target!"

"Yes sir!"

"Hai! I mean...yes sir!"

"This is Recon One to the Rangers, please respond." Shiro patched through while the Arcs formed a circular formation around Cyclopsis and continued to open fire, "AG Rangers, this is Recon One Shiro Armada! Please respond."

"We read you, Recon One..." Shiro breathed in relief when he heard the Negotiator reply, "Thanks for the back-up."

"Bout time we saved your asses for once!" Shiro called back, "Preventer Wing already told us it's weakness, we'll keep it guessing until you guys get on your feet."

"When did you tell them that?"

"I had Zero transfer the data through the Command Center's Communication Hub."

"Who's Zero?"

"A friend in my head. I'll explain later."

"That would be very nice of you. Engage at will Recon One, just don't get yourselves killed!"

"Understood." "Arc Leader! Attack Pattern Delta!"

"Roger!" Kou responded, "Arc Troopers go out!" The Arcs blitzed out in a single file as the zord fired a beam from it's forehead. The Arcs scattered into nine different directions to avoid the attack and opened fire on the zord's head.

The attack only managed to minimally scar the head, but it did prove Preventer Wing's theory about the ancient warzord. Now they just had to keep it from being able to adapt to this changed situation.

As a bonus, an explosion chipped off a piece of the zord's wrist-blade when it was hit by a shot that Shiro recognized had come from a long distance.

"Who's shot was that?" Arc 6 asked as his Jegan fired it's heat-laced bazooka into the zord's chest before leaping out of the way of a lightning attack.

"Mine sir!" A female voice responded, "Yoko Littner! Thought you guys could use a sniper!"

"Keep it up then!" Shiro commended as his group continued to engage Cyclopsis. As much as civilian interference was discouraged, turning a blind eye to "interference" from skilled individuals did tend to serve the Commander well in the past.

* * *

**Somewhere on the Angel Groove Highway**

"Glad you haven't missed a shot yet!" Leena said to the sniper in the gunman mounted on top of her Gunsniper, "Cause those rounds are bitches to replace!" The Zoids ace took aim with one her targeting recticle and fired a round from the barrel mounted on Gunsniper's right shoulder.

"Since when were you a sniper?"

"Sniper?" Leena just laughed as her round came closer to the Zoid attacking their boyfriends, "I don't go for accurate as hell shots."

"That wasn't even-"

"WHEN YOU CAN CARPET THE WHOLE FIELD!" Leena yelled when her round broke apart into a field of mines that opened up into smaller mines that sprinkled over the zord and exploded.

But the zord probably noticed them, because it turned and fired a green beam of light from it's forehead that rapidly closed the long distance between it and the girls.

Fortunately, another late-comer managed to divert the attack into the distance where it destroyed part of the highway system in that district.

"Is that a Gundam?" Leena asked, stunned to see that a red and white mobile suit now knelt down in front of the Dayakkaiser Gunsniper, "How the hell did you-"

"Yes! I have a gundam!" Hitomi yelled from the gundam as it twirled it's naginata to deflect another beam of energy, "It's an early engagement present, don't ask anything else..."

"Then why aren't you out there-"

"WHAT DID I SAY!" Yoko shrugged her shoulders and went back to targeting the enemy as Hitomi's gundam pulled out a bow that was mounted on the left arm and fired a glowing projectile that followed after Yoko's shot.

* * *

**District 32**

"Whoever they are, we need to recruit them..."

"Stay focused Arcs! We're not done yet!" Shiro stated as he fired his bazooka at the target and watched multiple mines latch onto the target's unseen barrier, exploding as Arc 2 flew by and slashed into the zord's side with a beam-sword while it was distracted.

"Damn...this thing won't stay down!" Arc 2 muttered while the zord repaired it's damage and held the jegan in place with it's "telepathy". Fortunately, a small rocket flew into the back of the zord's head and released the jegan from it's hold, "Nice one Ramirez!"

"Who says EMP rockets are a bad idea?" Kou stated as he flew down and engaged his beam saber against cyclopsis' bladed wrists while it's abilities seemed to have been halted by Ramirez's attack.

As Kou fell back, he had a feeling that the zord was about to rectify that mistake.

"Ramirez get the f%&k off that roof!" Kou commanded as he flew in and engaged alongside Arc 5, but was too late to stop the zord from firing a lighting blast at the building where Ramirez and his team were operating around.

"Already done!" Ramirez reported as he jumped off in time to avoid being crushed by the attack and landed on the midfloor of another building, "Can I have a raise?"

"We'll talk about it later." Shiro answered as the warzord brushed off Arc's 2 and 10 and pointed it's horn at Arc 3. "Watch it Arc 3!" Shiro watched as the blast burst into the mobile suit's armor and chunks of melting metal fell to the ground.

"Thought I'd go down easily!" Arc 3 yelled as it punched it's left arm into the warzord's chest, "Point Blank Bitch!" It then unleashed a barrage of rounds into the zord's armor that punctured it before the zord pushed the gundam away with an unseen burst.

"Like shooting up GM's do ya?" Arc 7 asked as his Jegan fired a mega beam launcher at the warzord and watched the blast sear into the warzord's back, "Well here's a little message from Arc 7!"

"What is this guy made of?" Arc 11 asked as he and Arc 7 fired their mega beam launchers at the warzord and were stunned when the attacks were diverted into a loop around the zord that nearly hit their comrades and then refocused into an orb that launched out at the stunned Arcs.

"Stand back." Recognizing the voice, the two jegans jumped back as a Winged Gundam appeared and reflected the orb with an engraved circular barrier that emitted from the gundam's shield. The gundam then pointed it's beam rifle and fired off it's last shot at the warzord as a chain wrapped around it's arms and held in place.

Expectedly, the beam was dissipated by the zord's telepathic abilities, but that didn't stop Escaflowne, Liger, Gurren Lagann, and E-ANIMA simueltaneously clashing against the zord's pressured barrier before Ez8 jumped over the circle and broke it's shield against the barrier.

"NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!" The Defense Force Commander roared as it opened fire with it's submachine gun and bazooka, managing to break the pressured barrier and land a direct hit into the zord's face before the Rangers pummeled it with kicks, slashes, and punches and threw it across the area while the Arcs regrouped.

"Thanks Recon One. We can take it from here."

"Good to hear from you Major Ikari."

"Likewise." Seeing their que to skidue, the Arcs didn't need to be ordered to fall back as the Rangers and their new Winged ally grouped together as Cyclopsis rose into the ground in the distance.

"You in Heero?" Kamina asked the pilot of the battered winged gundam.

"If it will help accomplish the mission then so be it." Heero answered as the wind around the six mecha gently rose with what was to come.

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

Big-O blew out it's pistons as its legs were brought into it's body to form a chest-piece and arms for Eva to fit on.

Liger Zero roared as it combined it's legs together and became a set of legs for Eva to leap into and connect with and allowed Panzer's parts to form into additional armor and thrusters facing forward along the legs.

Escaflowne turned into a draconic shape that wrapped around Eva's waist and melded into the Unit to form into upper legs and lower torso armor complete with a draconic tail.

Gurren Lagann leapt up and landed on the Eva to form flame detailed shoulder plates on Eva's arms and an armor piece that grew down over Eva's exposed back and upper chest. A mass of red spiral energy covered over Eva's head and faded into a red helmet that bore a crescant shaped emblem on the front of the helm that lightly connected with the original horn of Eva.

Wing Gundam shifted into a bird mode that flew up and latch onto the back and formed into a thruster pack complete with a set of long wings. A pair of white shoulder pauldrons layered onto the shoulders as the shield flipped over onto Eva's chest to become an long breastplate that extended down to the torso.

"Mecha Wing Breaker Lord. ACTIVATE!" Born from the flames of manliness blown upon the Winds of Courage, a volcano exploded behind it as the Mecha levitated within the sky with with it's arms folded over it's chest.

"Wow..." Noriko said, reflecting the opinions of the Arcs as they watched the winged Breaker Lord levitate down to the ground with the wind still at it's whim.

"Do they do that all the time?" Arc 2 asked.

"Pretty much." Arc 9 admitted in amazement.

"Damn...they sure know how to make an comeback..." Kou stated before turning his gundam around, "Arcs! You remember your orders! Fall back!"

"Give em hell Rangers!" The Arcs yelled as they fled the field, the fate of their city in more than capable hands.

* * *

**Command Center**

"Is the battle about to be over?"

"Tune in and find out!" Mokuba flinched after feeling his brother's hand slap the back of his head, "What?"

"Never say that again."

"I concur."

"Shut up Optimus!"

* * *

**Mecha Wing Breaker Lord**

"It would be nice to know about how we can form up before-"

"No time to worry about it now." Roger stated as Wing Breaker rapidly flew towards Cyclopsis and punched it in it's chest and hurled the zord into the air before rocketing upwards and throwing the zord down onto the ground below.

"We can fly!" The Rangers said together as they flew down in a spiral and impacted against the zord's armor and thrust the warzord into the ruined ground below, creating a massive crater and launching a cloud of debris into the air of the district.

Cyclopsis used it's telepathy to slow down the mecha lord enough to levitate itself out of the crater and fire a twin set of electric beams from it's shoulders that Breaker Lord diverted with it's barrier as two chains shot out from it's torso and pulled the zord into the barrier before Breaker Lord pulled out it's right arm, now covered in an orange energy that formed into a massive claw and raked the energy claw across the zord and threw it out of the crater.

"Awesome!" The group cried together now truly feeling like the battle was definitely in their favor for the first time since this battle had started.

"Whatever. Lets see what this bad boy can really do!"

"Calm down Kamina...all we got was a pair of wings-"

"AND A GUN!" Heero shouted as the Mecha flew up and pulled out a pair of beam rifles that were thrust together to fire a concentrated destructive beam into the still damaged warzord and launched it across the ruined district, "Sorry...I don't know what came over me..."

"I have that effect on a lot of people." Kamina stated as Breaker Lord regarded the damaged warzord and flew down towards it with drawn twin blades that cut into it's chest and threw it to the side.

"Look at it...it's slowing down." Roger noted as the warzord sluggishly stood up and was apparently leaking energy out of it's head.

"We've overloaded it's capabilities." Heero stated, "It's AI is only capable of storing so much information, introducing more without time to reload, not to mention the number of combatants...it was inevitable."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kamina asked as Gurren's glasses materialized in Wing Breaker's hands as it flew back and tossed the glasses at the warzord.

"Finishing Move!" Cyclopsis could do nothing as the glasses pinned up it's arms and legs while Wing Breaker Lord pulled up it's rifle as a powerful energy surrounded it, "BUSTER WINGGGG GIGGGAAA DRIILLLL BRREAAAKEEERRRR!" Wing Breaker Lord pointed it's rifle at the target and opened fire, allowing the gathered energy to swirl around the shot and form a massive energy drill that spiraled towards the warzord.

"COME ON! JUST DIE ALREADY!" Kamina yelled in outrage as Cyclopsis' horn clashed against the energy drill and put up enough resistance to keep the drill from destroying the zord.

"Simon! We need more juice!" Shinji yelled as the energy from Wing Breaker's assault began to wave out and obscure even the view of the pilots from each other due to the brightness of this struggle.

"I'm giving it everything I've got!"

"THEN GIVE MORE!"

"JUST SAY WHEN!"

"Fine! THIS CLOUD'S PITCHING IN!"

"AS SHALL THE KING!"

"JUST A MOMENT! THE TERMS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE!"

"This obstacle offends and obstructs me. ALL WHO OBSTRUCT GUNDAM SHALL NOT LIVE TO TELL OF IT!"

"I'LL HELP TOO!"

"Nia?" Simon asked when felt a delicate feminine hand hold onto his as Lagann's spiral monitor began to spin out of the charts, "Nia stop!"

"NO!" Nia shouted as she held onto Simon's hand despite her visible pain, "We fight together! Or we fall apart!"

"Nia..."

"I fight because I believe!" Nia cried out, "I believe in the Simon who cares for and believes in me! I believe in the Me who believes in Simon! So I'm going to fight at your side as the Nia who believes in me!" Seeing her determination, Simon nodded and went back to work.

"Sing it girl!" Kamina agreed during this torrential struggle, "WHO DOES THAT GUY THINK HE IS?"

"Better yet...oretachi wo..." Shinji gripped the controls as tightly as he could as he roared to the zord...to the world that shunned him and the father who wanted nothing more to do with him...to all of fate that would strive against him, "...DARE DA TO OMOTTE YAGARU!"

As if hearing the resolve of it's pilots, Wing Breaker felt a renewed concentrated surge of power flow into it's attack as it's rifle formed onto it's arm while the Mecha grabbed the weapon and boosted forward with it's wings. It soared into the chaotic stream as though it swam through a river and thrust the rifle into the drill as Cyclopsis managed to free it's arms and fire a three streamed beam into the drill to hold it off.

But the drill spun faster and faster, eventually redirecting Cyclopsis' counterattack completely as Wing Breaker pushed into the energy drill and finally collided with the warzord. The drill engulfed the zord as Wing Breaker pulled the rifle apart and formed the two halves into drills that covered over the Mecha's arms and enlarged as it thrust forward and dove straight at the overwhelmed Cyclopsis.

Stopping on the other side, the drill dissipated as Wing Breaker stood relinquishing it's drills as Cyclopsis just stood in place.

The warzord fell down into it's face as explosion after explosion engulfed the white zord and Wing Breaker's sunglasses returned to it's place on the victorious Mecha Lord.

This time, the team was sure that the zord was down for the count as explosion after explosion broke out on top of other explosions.

* * *

**Command Center Medical Ward**

"Sounds like the battle is over..."

"It is." Jenny said as the two pulled off their aprons since they wouldn't be receiving any more wounded...or dead, "You're done for today Hikari, wash up so you can welcome him back properly."

"Welcome who back?"

"Major Ikari, who else?" Jenny just grinned when Hikari leaned against the wall and distantly looked up at the ceiling, "Smitten aren't we?"

"What! No way-"

"Don't give me that look...you should be past denial by now."

"I'm not his type..."

"Exactly! He doesn't have one!" Jenny laughed while Hikari's thoughtful face remained red, "A boy like him, he'll give what he receives. Just be there to welcome him back, you've told him that your in his corner, now prove it."

"You know about-"

"You trespassed into a restricted area." Jenny lightly pointed out to the girl while she covered her eyes in embarassment, "Mokuba had to get you somehow."

* * *

**Command Center**

"Bless you sir."

"Thanks." Mokuba said to a bridge bunny after he had sneezed, "Wasn't that-"

"Yes, you are a genius Mokuba, I can go to sleep now?"

"What about cleaning up all of the collatoral-"

"That's your job Mokuba." Kaiba stated as he stood up and started leaving the Center.

"But you're the one whose in charge!"

"Correction! You are now in command!"

"In that case! I order you to help clean up!"

"Then you're essentially giving command back to me and therefore, my original plan stands!" Seto stated before he walked out of the center with his coat-tails flowing with the non-existent wind.

"Damn!" Mokuba just slumped into his brother's command chair and allowed his chin to rest on his palm "How does he screw the rules so well?"

**"My hope is cheated yet again...but I take comfort in knowing that your mortality shall slay you yet!"**

"If it's not working the first time around then why try for the twentieth time!"

**"And what shall you do to stop me? I AM ALREADY DECEASED! YOU CAN TAKE NOTHING MORE FROM ME THAN YOU ALREADY HAVE!"**

"Actually...there is something that I can do." Mokuba corrected as he pulled out a box with wires attached to it and placed the eldunari inside of it with gloved hands.

**"What is this?"** Deathwing asked as Mokuba closed the lid over the box and pushed a button to turn on Deathwing's favorite musical theme, **"No...NOOOO!"**

"Enjoy the music Bitchwing..." Mokuba smirked with satisfaction while the muffled pleas of the dragon barely registered outside of the box.

"Sir!" One of the aides reported, "We've registered a faint energy signal! It's coming from where Cyclopsis was..."

"Probably residue from the wreckage." Mokuba assured as he watched the screens already calculating the collatoral and structural damage to District 32 and other nearby districts.

"There's a life sign detected in it sir." The aide stated as Mokuba turned his attention to what he knew would be the aide's next words, "A pilot..."

"Wonderful."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yeah...I did it again...there's a third part coming after this, an "epilogue chapter" to this fight if you will...**

**How do these chapters keep ending up longer than I intended? Oh well, as long as you guys enjoy it then it really doesn't matter.  
**

**On another note, who put Skyrim and/or Skyward Sword on their Christmas List? If you don't have it already that is...  
**


	12. Raise Tranquility

**District 32...what's left of it anyway...**

"It's just the head..." Bit pointed out as the Rangers plus Heero, an observant Kamina, and quiet Nia walked out towards the large crater where the warzord cyclopsis had once stood.

Instead, it's head was lying in the smoking crater, damaged but still intact despite the devastation that had been unleashed on it.

"See what I meant?" Kamina spoke up as the team came up to the damaged head, "What does that remind you of Simon?"

"A...gunman?" Suddenly it became clear to Simon. The facial features hidden underneath peeled away armor, the hint of a cranial canopy now shown, the overall smooth design of the white head wasn't the same, but take that away and Simon could see the resemblance.

"I thought this was an ancient zord?" Shinji asked in confusion, "This thing was a gunman the whole time?"

"Not just any..." Roger noted, "It's almost the same as...Lagann..."

"It's exactly the same." Rossiu reported from the Command Center, "Data Files confirm it...that head's energy signature is a similar match to a lagann-type gunman."

"What?" Rossiu's words confused Simon, but he put two and two together and did nothing to deny the similarities between this wreckage and his lagann, "You're right bro...what does that mean?"

"It means don't drop your guard." Van stated as he drew his sword, "This lagann must have been combined with the warzord or used as a component in the overall zord..."

"Just like...father..." Nia muttered to herself, a shadow on her eyes as she thought back to when she lived with the Spiral King. Knowing about what she was thinking, Simon gently tightened his grip on Nia's hand to tell her that it was alright.

"So a lagann can be permanently fused with it's partner." "Why haven't you-"

"Simon doesn't need me to butt in on all of his fights." Kamina replied as he charged at the head and brought back his leg, "I just showed up cause this bastard woke me up!" Cyclopsis' "lagann-like" head budged a little from it's place thanks to Kamina's kick and the other rangers went on edge after it's intact eye emitted a green glow.

"Hold your fire!" Michael called out to the other nearby GMs and Jegans as a crowd of armed infantry swarmed over the crash site and surrounded the head, "Not till you see the whites of it's eyes!"

"But it's a robot..."

"Don't worry about it..." Michael said to Simon from within his battered GM, "I've just always wanted to say that..."

"Target's going inactive." Heero reported while tapping the head phone on his right ear, "HQ detected a Faint life sign..."

"Someone was in there!"

"Calm down Noriko..." Shiro radioed the now shaking giril, "It happens..."

"We lost a lot of good men to this thing." Foley said after spitting out a wad of psuedo-tobacco, "Think we oughta see who we were fighting. Ramirez! Open her up!"

"Right." The former ODST marine stepped out from the infantry ring and brought out a pulse laser rifle with a large chainsaw blade attached to the front. As the rangers watched, the rifle fired a continuous laser into the mecha's head before digging in with the chainsaw and began to cut a hole.

A few seconds later, the cut out metal gave way to a diluge of brown liquid that splashed out onto the ground as the Defense Force and Rangers watched as stray splashes of whatever it was stained the white exterior of the cut open head. But what truly drew everyone's attention was a mound that more slowly slid out of the carved out hole. Is it fell into the shallow pool, Cyclopsis' eye blinked and then faded out.

"Clear!" Ghost yelled out as the infantry slowly moved around the mound covered in the dark brown liquid, "Target confirmed neutralized...as for it's pilot..."

"What...what is it?" One soldier asked as the pale hand rose out from the mound, followed by a full arm and a shoulder.

"It's...it's a..." Out of the mound crawled a humanoid figure, with long light-blue/pale-blonde hair that was practically stuck to the figure's pale back as the infantry and Rangers observed it.

"A woman..." Bit said as figure's more...feminine physical features became more obvious and bare to the others, causing a few to have an absent nosebleed while others turned a way somewhat, "Well...it looks feminine..."

"Aether..." The woman crawled forward, reaching out her hand towards a stunned and now frightened Nia as the pilot's narrow eyes widened with pure rage, "Aether!"

The woman reached out as Nia fell back in sudden fear and passed out into Simon's arms. As the rangers watched, the woman looked each one in the eye as she held herself up. Van was horrified by this sight, Bit was stunned and disgusted, Roger was appalled at the pitiful expression that she held, Shinji's expression was almost cold, questioning why he should feel sorry for this monster, Kamina kept his glasses on and his sword sheathed, Heero had his hand on his holstered gun while Simon kept his gaze on Nia's face.

Finally, life left her eyes and she fell into the liquid, her eyes still wide with anger and rage as Ramirez knelt down next to her to cheek her vitals.

"Pilot's gone..." Ramirez reported as he stood up from the now still pilot, "As soon as her cockpit was exposed to the planet's oxygen...it crystalized her organs..."

"Who was she?" Simon asked Shiro as a crew of infantry wrapped the woman in a dark cloth and hauled her over to an ambulance for transport.

"Soon as we clean out this head and take it the lab for analysis...we'll have more answers for you..."

* * *

**Command Center**

"Anything you can contribute?"

"No..." Optimus answered, "The pilots of the zords were seldom seen...it was long believed that the pilots became the zord when they entered it..."

"Wonderful." Mokuba rubbed his chin as he went over the schematics of the warzord that was just felled, "But then again...the pilot wasn't inside the zord...it was in the head..."

"You have that look on your face sir..."

"Oh it's nothing..." Mokuba knew that he wasn't fooling anyone though, "Could you get me Leeron's number again?"

* * *

**Yuma, Arizona**

As he stood up on the rocky ridge, the eleventh prince of Britannia exhaled in exhaustion after climbing. True, he had chosen this expedition in order to build up his lackluster physical aptitude and endurance, but how he ever allowed his current companion to talk him into this was behind him.

Now that he had climbed the ridge and looked out, it wasn't very high at all in perspective, but the view he had did nothing to appease his utter hatred of this region's high climate. There was a small city around here, it was a decent place to have a vacation, but around it were the carbonized ruins and wreckage from former districts destroyed or abandoned during and after Second Impact.

Even now, the prince could hardly believe it. If not for the ancestors of a small kingdom dedicated to the suicidal path of non-violent pacifism, Britannia may have had to call this little patch of a wasteland the capital of an empire in exile.

Lelouch just couldn't see it.

Fortunately, an opportune call pulled the eleventh prince from this ridiculous thought as he answered his phone.

"Yes?" The uppity and excited voice on the other line was very pleased to hear from Lelouch, "Hello my lovely baroness." Lelouch set himself down and allowed his legs to dangle over the edge of the cliff as he listened to the little girl prattle on about her assignment.

"That easily? Oh...did you say a Red Megadues?" One of his colleagues did mention something about a flying red mecha that was very similar to the black megadues of the Negotiator, but until now it was dismissed as an irrelevant fact.

"I see...Very well, I will not keep you. Do well my valkyrie." Lelouch smirked though he felt a tenth of his hearing die with the shrieking of this girl he had appointed as baronness, "You don't like that play?" This was one of the many annoyances that Lelouch had with the girl, she had no appreciation for the true works of art.

"Alright Asuka, farewell until we meet again soon."

"So how was the little baroness?" Lelouch's red-haired companion asked while the prince didn't keep from wavering his gaze between her eyes and her barely covered and sweaty "tracts of land", "You know that I hate it when you do that?"

"Then why dress to draw such a gaze?" Lelouch pointed out, now managing to stay fixed on the girl's face. Not only did he wish to show his respect, but it was often wise not to anger an individual who is ten times physically and martially stronger than you could ever hope to be. "Despite the teasing, I think the look suits you."

"Is there a single Britannian who isn't perverted?"

"And the Japanese are not?"

"At least we're not hypocrites about it-" The girl stopped as Lelouch just smirked, as with most battles he didn't win, he allowed her to lose, "You win, enjoy it while it lasts then."

"Gladly." Just as Lelouch was about to go back to his lovely view, his phone rang yet again. A year ago, it would have been more difficult to suppress his rising feelings of frustration, but now, he had mastered the little trick and turned on the phone, "What is it Milliardo?"

* * *

**Command Center Hanger**

"Well done...Arcs..." The Commander said to the gathered pilots after their mobile suits were committed to the Maintenance Center for repairs and touch up. Leaving Shiro Amada and the nine members of the Arcs to rejoin the other pilots in the Debriefing hall.

"Nice kick newbie!" Bergh complemented the newest member of both the Arcs and the Defense Force as they entered the hall and were greeted with the cheers of at least a hundred if not more pilots both stable and wounded.

Already, Shiro noticed the missing faces.

"Thank you..." Noriko replied to Bergh as the Arcs rejoined their celebrating comrades who had already broken out the victory wine.

"And Kou here thought she was making him look like an idiot..." Sanders laughed as he pat the gundam ace on his shoulder, "Oh look! He did that himself!"

"Alright guys, Udaki's learned his lesson." Shiro stated after draining a cup of the victory wine, savoring the slightly bitter aftertaste of the Side 7 brewed drink, but he was never picky about his drinks anyway.

"It's Uraki!"

"Whatever...In all seriousness people, well done." Shiro looked from face to face, seeing the eyes of old, young, weared and spirited waiting for his words, "We lost some good people today...and we've taken a lot of damage. Some of which we can repair, others we can't ever replace."

"But I want you all to know. You've saved over Thirty Million people from another ridiculously powerful threat to their lives. Everyone did their part and you all did well today. Yeah, you weren't the ones who dealt the finishing move, but no one's gonna forget about our contribution anytime soon."

"And if they do? The hell with them!" The men cheered after Sanders spoke to which Shiro just shrugged, "I'm done, shower and fill out the schedule for next week tomorrow...you've all earned a rest."

"Get your asses home." As the men prepared to leave, Shiro turned to Kiki and held out his hand, "Give me the report."

"It could be worse sir..." The girl sadly said while her hand remained gripped with a nearby Michael's with the other arm situated in a sling due to injuries. The two just stood and waited for the commander as he read through the sorted out casualties.

"That is true..." Shiro agreed while putting the report into his jacket and patting the two on their shoulders, "It always could be worse."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Hange**

"Hey! You made it!" Hikari waved from the catwalk and ran over to the now docked E-Anima as the pilot capsule rose out of the Eva's back and opened. Spraying LCL across half of the hanger as the Evangelion completely powered down.

"Yeah..." Shinji jumped down from the open capsule and was tackled into a hug by the pig-tailed class representative, "Hikari..."

"I'm glad you made it back." The equally wet Hikari said as Shinji slowly returned the hug, but though slow, he did so with less reluctance. It felt...good to have someone there to welcome him back, "Where's Nia?"

"She's with Simon and Kamina," Shinji answered as he broke their embrace and climbed back onto Eva after realizing something, "She should be fine."

"What about you?" Shinji hopped down with a towel in hand and seized up suddenly after landing, but managed to keep himself under control enough to keep Hikari from noticing. At least he had something to thank the damn dragon for.

"I'm sore all over..." Shinji admitted while rubbing the towel over himself and wrapped it around the equally soaked Hikari as a smile grew over his face, "But...I've never felt better." Just as the two started walking in the opposite direction, Shinji noticed Hikari smirk after realizing that she was wet from the LCL spray.

And she was wearing white, Shinji had been socked enough by Asuka to know never to even look if you doubt if she has anything on under, but based on what he felt during their hug...

"Let me fix that." The same technician from before called out when Shinji came to the maintenance console and handed the pilot a stack of papers, "We're gonna need feedback from your test run."

"Test run?"

"What part of 90% complete did you not get?" the Technie asked with a chuckle, "We still need to work over the other 10%."

"Alright, I can fill this out." Shinji said, but wasn't quick enough to keep a nearby school representative from snatching the papers from Shinji's reach, "Give those back!"

"Oh no! Not until you get your rest!" Hikari said as the Technician just laughed and Shinji knew that he'd just lost. However, she merely placed the papers on the console desk, surprising Shinji somewhat, "If it makes you feel better, you're off medical leave."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if you're fit enough to pilot E-ANIMA, then you're good to sleep in your own bed."

"Actually, there's a still a day on your medical leave." Mokuba reported over the comm, stunning Hikari while Shinji just exhaled for what was coming, "Which you'll be spending with Miss Horaki or you won't live to see morning."

"What?" No, he didn't see this one coming.

"That's what happens when you break ethical code, steal an incomplete project and all while breaking into a restricted area."

"How am I restricted?"

"Your friends were and you even let one of them pilot E-ANIMA along with you." Mokuba pointed out calmly, "I was going to just suspend you for the month with a severely reduced pay, but I kind of like this idea better."

"Don't worry about him," The technician reported to the two nervous and stunned teens, "Think of it as the boss' way of giving you a slap on the wrist."

"By the way...Sorry about-"

"Don't bother kid," The technician said before Shinji could finish, "I'd honestly rather not have a gun pointed in my face, but you were on a mission. And since your insubordination did pay off, I'm gonna pretend that none of that ever happened. So you never put a gun in my face and threatened to shoot if I didn't open the door."

"In other words, we're cool Major."

"Thank you," Shinji replied with genuine gratitude when curiosity brought out another question, "What does Mokuba do when..."

"You don't want to know." The technician warned Shinji as he flipped on his 3ds and quietly recalled the reason why he's still awaiting the transfer to Seto's shift instead of Mokuba's, "Trust me."

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"You appear to be unhappy."

"The Messenger held that which was obliterated," The Commander of Nerv continued to walk through the unlit hall as the Spiral King continued to speak beside him, "What say you to this? Ikari?"

"Tabris has his own agenda now," Ikari stated as he opened a door leading to an escalator that would take him further into the sub-basement of Nerv's HQ, "But not one that will deviate from the scenario."

"Are you so sure?" LordGenome inquired, "I am beginning to doubt your decision to send your child to the groove of angels."

"For two reasons I would guess." Gendo spoke up, having knowledge of all of the Spiral King's secrets, including the ones that he had withheld, "You fear that he'll discover-"

"That reason is a pointless concern, she will remain a doll regardless," Simply because of how subtly defensive the Spiral King had become, Ikari decided to count it as a nominal victory, "You know of what I speak."

"How did you know?" Ikari was internally very surprised that Genome knew of the Commander's true reason for allowing Unit 01 to "fall" into Kaiba's hands.

"Do you believe me blind simply because my eyes are not turned in your direction?" The Spiral King asked as Gendo stepped off of the long escalator while LordGenome followed, "You are treading upon fragile ground."

"The road to ascension is always narrow to weed out the unworthy," Gendo Ikari declared to a being who was once the mightiest warrior and pilot to ever tread across the stars, "Surely you would know from your own experience."

"We are done here." Fading away in miniscule squares, the hologram of LordGenome faded from Commander Ikari's sight just as he came close to another room. One that he had more recently created under a collaborative effort with Rosewater and LordGenome.

The Chamber of Sod

Despite the simple design of the door, it would only accept key of Nebuchaddezer as the way to open it. The very key which Ikari had imbedded within his very being, the regenerating remnants of the Ancestrial Being that had brought about Second Impact.

With a little nudge from his own plans of course.

Opening the door, the Commander was greeted with a view of the other ancestrial being crucified upon a massive red cross. Yui had always wanted a survielance chamber to be closer to Lillith to ensure that she would not somehow restore herself.

Fortunately, Gendo had found a method to both utilize and restrain the angel in a way that Yui may have found humorous, considering everything that Lillith took from her.

But this chamber was not here as a personal window to the Second Angel, this place held a more...recent essential component to the Commander's plans, in fact not even his whore Ritsuko or the Professor knew of this place.

And not even LordGenome knew of the true purpose of that which lied within.

"I await the day," The Commander said unto the darkness of that chamber, "In which I will no longer require his assistance. An empty shell is always easy to fracture and once found, the shell is crushed."

"Now...now...he still has a use for us. Right...father?"

* * *

**Hanger of the Negotiator**

"We sure did take a beating..." Bit draped his jacket over his shoulder after cleaning up and changing from the battle that had been concluded earlier. Even though Mecha Lord's final fusion took care of any repairs that Bit dreaded having to start, both Big O and Liger's Panzer armor had been depleted of all ammo.

Something else to book Kaiba for.

"But we did learn something from it." Roger noted as he and Bit went into the elevator and Norman closed the door behind them, "Thankfully repairs have already been accounted for."

"I'm just surprised that Kaiba didn't want to ball us out again."

"No, apparently he turned in for the night."

"Like he did any hard work. The guy acts like he's being eaten up all the time."

"A young man like Kaiba in a sense is constantly troubled," Norman added as the elevator kept rising, "With an ego of his size and his position? Keeping all of you at arm's length is likely his way of coping, or so I would think."

"Who knows..." Roger sat patiently as the elevator rose out of the underground and ran up along a windowed shaft giving a nice view of the city, "Speaking of people with problems...have you been alright lately?"

"Where did this come from?" Bit asked with both hands on the back of his head.

"You acted pretty hastily during the fight." Roger pointed out, "That's...not like you."

"Let me guess, you overheard me and Leena..."

"Not intentionally..." Roger admitted, "Whatever is going on, you sound like you could use someone to talk to."

"Don't worry about it Roger..." Bit assured, but Roger did notice a hint of passive aggressiveness, "It's just stuff about my parents when I was a kid, you remember that stuff right?"

"Unfortunately..." Roger paused as the elevator bell rung to tell it's occupants that they had made it to Roger's pad, "I don't..."

"Sounds rough..." Bit stated as he walked out of the opening doors, "Night Roger."

"Good night Bit." Roger replied while slipping off his jacket and putting it on a coat hanger, "Good night Norman, sorry for waking you."

"Do not worry Master Roger." The butler dismissed as he left to turn in for the night, "Good Night sir."

"You smell like you've been out." Roger overheard Bit in the guest room as the Negotiator was on his way to his own bedroom,.

"What did you think I'd do? Sit here and wait?" Leena replied as Roger quietly closed their cracked door, "But...I did think about taking a nap."

"Nah...that doesn't sound like you..." Smiling, Roger kept going, his own wife technically didn't need to worry about it. But that didn't mean that she didn't want Roger's warm body to warm her's.

* * *

**Fanelian Embassy**

"Bro..."

"Stop worrying about Nia!" Kamina yelled to Simon as they sat outside on the porch of the embassy, "She'll be alright."

"I still find it so fascinating..." The Dai-Gurren Brigade head technician muttered next to Kamina as the Dai-Gurren Brigade leader jumped up in shock, "I think that I will collaborate with that adorable little Mokuba."

"You're not his type Leeron," Kiyal said while sitting on the porch railing, "Where's Shinji?"

"He's walking his girlfriend home." Kittan answered as Simon failed to supress a smile, "He'll probably stay over for the night too."

"Shinji's growing up already..." Kamina said while one of Balgus' trainees desperately attempted to push him up while Kamina sat on the boy's back, "Simon! Take Nia back to her room!"

"I already did."

"Did you say good night?"

"Yeah..." Simon knew where his brother was going to go now.

"Did you kiss her good night?"

"On her cheek..."

"Good enough..." Kamina said as they looked out and saw that Heero was still lying out in the field behind the embassy stretching out his limbs.

"What is he doing?" Van asked in shock as they hurt grunts and gasps of pain as they watched Heero continue to grab his limbs and do...stuff with them.

"He's relocating his limbs..." Merle answered in shock as everyone but Van and Kamina grimaced from the sickening thuds and cracks that Heero's self-therapy was making, "Do I smell latex?"

"No..." Hitomi shyly rubbed her arm as she entered the porch with Yoko. Merle kept sniffing over and came closer to the japanese schoolgirl as Simon also picked up the smell.

"I smell it too-"

"Don't be silly Simon!" Kamina slapped his little brother's back, "Latex is for over-the-top show offs who are too badass to look stupid while wearing it!"

"Right..." Hitomi waved her hand through her hair nervously while Yoko just sat unsurprised for some reason.

"You know we have healers here..." Van offered their newfound ally as he wrapped his relocated limbs in bandages and stood up from the ground.

"That won't be necessary, but thank you." Heero answered as he turned to leave.

"You're leaving?" Van called out, "We have plenty of beds if you need rest..."

"I believe that I will pass-"

"No you won't! Not with that arm." Kamina cried as he appeared in front of Heero and prevented the man from leaving due to the sheer force of awesome that would have crushed any lesser man, "Or leg..."

"I just put them back into place..." Heero pointed out uncaring of the fact that there were blood stains showing through the bandages.

"And now they need rest!" Heero grunted as Kamina slung him over his back and carried him to the embassy, "Come on, lets find you a bed!"

* * *

**District 9**

Another disappointing day for this agent of Deception.

He had failed to track Horaki yet again, disturbance from the recent battle had overcharged it's sensors while it dug underground and erased much of the data that had been recently received.

So Scorponok went forth to it's default directive, wait and fed.

Tonight, it's tail was currently engulfing another fleshling female. It had already taken in one of the three males that it did not kill after stumbling upon them taking the female, effectively doing the agent's job for it.

But between the two, females were easier to devour. Not because they were biologically weaker than males according to Scorponok's database, but because they were of smaller build and provided more efficient energy to be processed. Either way, Scorponok couldn't stand their the feel of their slimy, sweet covered skin being brushed against the inside of it's efficient metallic structure.

It felt like a virus.

Still, the agent did what had to be done. And was as the female's unnecessarily large flesh mounds were consumed, the agent detected an energy signature in it's immediate vicinity.

"Help..." The freckled female begged as Scorponok turned around with claws ready and was met with utter disappointment, "Help me...please..."

"You will all beg for mercy in vain." The small box sized black metallic spider spoke as Scorponok observed it, "The debris from your planet will litter this solar system. I shall stomp upon your very atoms, Cybertronian."

"A bold claim, puny ant." The agent answered as the female was consumed and her form slid in through the agent's tail, "I do not recognize your composition. What is your designation, machine?"

"I am the REGIS Mark V. I will destroy all." Scorponok immediately armed it's cannons upon hearing that designation, "REGIS will incinerate this planet and enslave all its occupants."

"Not before we do." Scorponok boasted as it raised it's tail and stabbed it down through the REGIS's back. Picking up the metallic machine and blasting it with a dozen rounds from each of the cannons mounted within it's claws.

"Annoyance." Scorponok tossed the trashed machine aside and burrowed into the ground, that creature had to have been a fake...

* * *

**District 36**

"Look...I can make it back-"

"All the way to the Embassy from the Command Center?" Hikari asked as the two of them made it to Hikari's apartment complex, "It won't be that bad Shinji..."

"No! That's not what I meant...I just don't want to make you uncomfortable..."

"Same here..." Hikari gasped and grabbed Shinji's arm as the other gripped his chest as another fit hit him, "See what I mean? You were acting recklessly Shinji..."

"Guess you're right, Hikari..." Shinji said as the fit subsided, Hikari still appeared concerned but she took her place in front of him and led him up to the fourth level where her apartment was.

"Come on..." Hikari said when they reached her room marked 43-2, "After everything you've done, the least I can do is give you some rest for the night. K?"

"Alright..." Shinji decided to stop fighting this, it wouldn't be bad at all. It's not like they were going to...and Shinji stopped his thoughts before he went into "hentai" territory.

"You'll be able to use-" Shinji instantly saw Hikari's body tense after she opened the door. Not in a bad way, but in a surprise and shock manner, "Noriko?...I thought..."

"That I'd be sleeping in the barracks?" Hikari's roommate asked with a giddy smile while sat on top of her bed, "No...it smells over there..."

"Okay..." Hikari nervously replied, it appeared as though she wasn't counting on Noriko being here since most of the DF were either sleeping in the barracks tonight or still out partying, "Shinji's staying over for the night, is that cool?"

"Shinji!" Shinji waved from behind Hikari while Noriko bounced onto her feet and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, "Hell yeah it's cool! Everyone was talking about you in the DF!"

"Really?" Shinji asked curiously while Hikari walked over to her bed to set down her stuff, "What did they say?"

"That you're awesome and their glad that you're on their side." Noriko simply answered while fixing her bandana, "And wanted me to thank you on their behalf."

"Thank me?" Why? What had he done to deserve their gratitude and praise? If anything, it should be Simon and the others who should be thanked. All he did was get Nia hurt and then have to get saved..., "I was just doing my job. They're...You...are the ones I should thank..."

"Then we're even." Noriko replied as she lied back on her bed while Shinji yawned and looked for a mat or something for him to sleep on.

"You can have one half and I'll have the other..." Hikari said, her hair undone and freely flowing down to just above her shoulder blades.

"I've..." Suddenly, Shinji felt something come undone. Maybe it was sleeping in the same bed as a girl and realizing something about Hikari, but he needed to breath, "Mind if I use the bathroom?"

"Go ahead..." Hikari said with a gentle smile while Shinji kept from running into the bathroom and briskly walked instead. The bathroom wasn't all that big, but it was clean, cleaner than any bathroom that he had seen in the past several months.

Which made it easier for Shinji to collect his breath and change out into pajama shorts and a t-shirt that he had brought over for the night. He took care of business, flushed and told himself over and over that it was just for tonight and left the bathroom.

"Noriko..." To have Noriko Takaya standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her loose t-shirt and wearing a smile. Shinji did not like where this was probably going.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Going number one..."

"Why did it take so long?" Was in there for that long? "You're nervous about Hikari about you?"

"Yes..." Shinji didn't see any point in trying to hide his nervousness, "I've...never slept in the same bed as girl...okay?"

"I could tell..." Noriko said as her arms fell to her sides, "Think of it as...sleeping with a sibling..."

"Oh...and just so you know..." Shinji couldn't even register when he had been grabbed, but now he was being held up in the air by a very serious and determined Noriko, "Do anything she doesn't like, say anything she doesn't like, or touch her in a way that she doesn't want. I'll grab you by the balls, bash in your skull with that lamp there, strangle with with this bandanna here, throw you out that window there and then I'll jump down and kick you with these feet here...Hai?"

"Hai..." Shinji replied, though he had no intention of taking advantage of Hikari in anyway, this did not stop him from nearly wetting himself at the true hostility that was within Noriko's voice and eyes.

"Now that that's out of the way..." The girl allowed Shinji's feet to touch the floor as her features softened back to the cheery girl that everyone knew, "Oyasuminasai!"

"Oyasuminasai..." Shinji slowly replied as the girl jumped into her bed, pulled the covers over her and went to sleep while Shinji stood stunned for a short minute.

He had fought a masked angel that broke his wrist and blasted out an eye, a tentacle creature that flew him over city blocks and ran him through with it's tentacles, a singing diamond that shot him through the heart with a laser beam, a mutated whale that nearly ate him, twin angels that buried him halfway into the ground, had to fight the singing diamond again, a giant monster that ran him through, a mythological Kraken, a dragon that very nearly killed him, and an ancient warzord that also very nearly killed him.

But not even his father had scarred him as much as this girl just did.

All the more reason not to create anymore reason for Shinji to be frightened. So he steeled his nerves and walked over to Hikari's bed, slipping under the covers and lying on his back with his face looking at the ceiling.

"Hope Noriko didn't scare you..." He heard Hikari whisper next to him.

"Don't worry about it..." Shinji answered while still looking up at the ceiling. Asuka's sleeping habits had taught him to never take for granted someone else's idea of sleepwear, "She just cares about you..."

"Right...you're right..." Hikari said as Shinji heard her shift in the bed, "I'm nervous too by the way..."

"What for?" Shinji asked, realizing that he was not looking at the ceiling, he was now looking at her face and her pretty auburn eyes. "Think of it...as sleeping with a sibling."

"Yeah right."

"Well...you could always kick me onto the floor..."

"And be an inconsiderate host? No..." He didn't dare move, she had closed the distance between the two and was now holding him with her arms, her head resting against his whether than the pillow, "Much better..."

"Hik..." Was it truly fear? Or was it the simple fact that he had never been this close to anyone like this? It was both horrifyingly scary and excitingly euphoric at the same time. Here he was, brought to this girl's room and being allowed access to her in her most vulnerable state and she wholeheartedly trusted him. Maybe he was reading too much but it felt too damn good to think of anything else.

"Yeah...it's better now..." Shinji wrapped his arms around the girl's back, lightly brushing her hip and hair on accident and smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Beneath the Angel Groove Command Center**

"Why am I even down here?" Kaiba asked himself as he leaned against the back of the elevator and watched the rocky formation that he traveled down through, "Coming down here is like pretentiously asking for nightmares for the rest of the damn week...but here I am."

Kaiba knew why he was coming down here. It was to remind himself why buying this city was the biggest gamble of his life. Sure, it was a good deal and despite the numerous setbacks in the form of repair bills and other expenditures, Kaiba couldn't have found a better deal if the original seller had thrown the furry's little sister dressed in a torn-up maidservant outfit.

"The water's supposed to be pure but...I'm not going to trust it." When he and some aides had first come down to this underground wonder, a few of the interns decided to swim in the vast lake that Seto was now looking upon. But something about it really bothered the Kaiba Corp President.

And not even those stories and visions about him being a reincarnated egyptian priest ever really bothered Seto.

"The Grove of Angels." Seto said to himself as he exited the elevator and looked over the grass filled land, "Why do so many people want this place?" Seto exhaled and began the long walk to what he knew was keeping him up today. In the distance, he could already spot the thin white object pointing upwards from this underground utopia.

"Gee...maybe it's whoever's been impaled beneath you." Kaiba noted as he neared the large and long white bident, "And how the hell are you holding yourself up?" Truthfully, the question was more on Kaiba's mind since half of the bident had been snapped off at some point in the past and what remained was cracked in multiple places along it's interwoven length.

What made this question even more poignant was that the downward half of the bident's two binds also came further together enough to practically crucify the masked pale human-sized being that lied upon a giant rock.

As much as the giant rock impressed Seto, what really caught his eye were the following ten words carved into the rock in a pretentiously coordinated pattern.

Keter, Chochmah, Binah, Da'at, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkuth. The ten attributes that make up the Tree of Sephiroth.

Kaiba knew what each of those words meant. Gorzaboroh used to always bend him over and swing his spiked golf club onto his back every time he failed to correctly state what each of those damn words meant.

The masked albino's hands were impaled through the Chesed and Gevurah symbols while it's legs lied in between the spaces separating Netzach and Hod from Yesod. Already Kaiba could hear some symbolic nutjob prancing around behind him calling for Kaiba to ask what all of this meant.

One thing was certain to Kaiba, whoever this thing was had been impaled here for a reason. And as much as he heard a subtle voice calling for him to go get his jet and pull the lance out of the ground...Seto knew that following that idea would end horribly.

"Seto!" Kaiba heard his collar cry out, "Why are in the Sub-base?"

"I was going for a walk." Kaiba said to the collar as he finally turned away from the being, "What is it?"

"There's something you might want to know about Unit one-"

"Yes! ANIMA is awesome! Stop saying it!"

"It's not about ANIMA! It's about that girl!"

"Nia?" That unbelievably cute girl with the plus-shaped eyes? How could Kaiba forget that freakishly cute girl? "What about her?"

"Come see for yourself."

"This better important..." Kaiba stated as he turned off the collar and felt his breath decrease when his gaze returned to the being, "Did I just see movement?" For the briefest second, it looked like the being had slightly tilted it's head towards Kaiba.

Why did it do that?

How the hell was this being still alive after who knows who long it had been impaled into the giant rock?

Judging from the stains, this thing did have blood once. How would it be able to move after being completely drained? Not to mention the circular gash in it's chest that obviously denotes the lack of a heart.

Biting himself for not heeding his better judgement, Kaiba stepped closer to the being trapped beneath the broken lance and stepped over to it's head. It's head covered over by a mask with a design denoting rays of light going forth from a single eye.

Someone was really asking for attention. That's probably why the damn mask was put here, so someone could jump up and down destroying their minds wondering exactly what all of this meant.

So why was he down here? Why did he come down here knowing that he would hear whispers in a dead language that his bastard stepfather made sure to beat into his memory?

"Seto!"

"Shut up Talking Collar!" He turned from the crucified being and speedily walked away from the site. Thanks to mentally drowning out the whispers that came back and echoed through his ears, he made it to the elevator and collapsed against the elevator wall as it climbed out of this underground utopia and back up to his own city.

The more Seto thought about it, the more he wasn't surprised about what he learned about the last city built here...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So the Rangers finally have their well deserved rest...how long will it last?**

**Spoiler: Not very long!**

**This chapter turned out pretty short compared to most chapters on this story, but it works for me.  
**

**Still open to any questions that need answering or suggestions for Parallel Works. I have three in the works, but not sure about any others.**

**Furthermore, thank you everyone who read, reviewed and made this story one of your favorites for the past year! This chapter will be the first chapter for the new year, but more good news...there'll be a lot more too!  
**

**So...you'll be seeing more of me in 2012, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (sorry for the late greetings)  
**

**PS: You have my permission to open up a betting pool for possible enemies for the Rangers to face, but only if I get 20% of the earnings. Nah I'm just kidding, gambling isn't good for you.  
**


	13. Ride of the Red Valkyrie

**Space  
**

"Captain Allster." The engineering officer called over the comm as the crew of the Federation Pegasus-Class Warship: Stallion continued their duties, "Our engines are fully recharged and we should be entering hyperspace within the hour."

"Good to hear." The young woman with long brown-pink hair replied while she sat in the Captain's chair and attentively kept note of her active crew.

"Captain," The communication's officer's began as the captain watched her, "I am picking up a distress beacon..."

"Put it through." The Captain commanded, "Unidentified craft, please state your name-"

"HELLO!" A loud screeching and frantic voice called out, "THIS IS CAPTAIN CARRIE NESS OF THE ROSE ASTRAY! WE'VE BEEN STRUCK BY A GRAVITIC MINE AND HAVE BEEN STRANDED OUT HERE FOR WEEKS! WE HAVE NO POWER TO ENGINES! OUR FOOD RATIONS HAVE JUST RAN OUT AND-"

"Shut up!" Captain Allster barked in frustration before calming down and continued in a sweet voice, "You need to be calm ma'am...what are your coordinates?"

"The signal has grown weak ma'am." The communication's officer reported when the Captain of the vessel failed to respond, "But we've managed to pinpoint the coordinates of the ship."

"Alright, what else do we know about it?"

"Ma'am," The analysis officer began before double checking his findings, "It's a Class 3 Merchant Craft mainly used for storage and transportation."

"Alright." Captain Allster stated with a smirk, already knowing exactly what was coming, "Do you have those coordinates?"

"Ma'am..." The Navigation officer exhaled before he continued, "They are within reach...but they lie within the outer edges of the Neutral Zone."

"Get us closer then." The Captain commanded, "As soon as we gather more information about that craft, we'll act." She sat back and barely felt the smooth ship move closer to the stranded vessel's coordinates.

"Ma'am...we are now on the edge of the neutral zone and..." The navigation's officer reported as the damaged ship came on the view screen, "We have a live feed on the craft."

"Well?" The captain asked, keeping an eye out on what she expected to soon arrive.

"The Rose Astray..." The analysis officer reported, "It is apparently of Britainnian manufacture and-"

"Shoot them." Allster stated, "We have a live feed and lock on the vessel, so shoot them and move on."

"Ma'am..." The analysis officer was stunned by her captain's orders, "The vessel contains numerous life sources...more than a merchant craft should-"

"Britainnian infiltrators..." The Captain reasoned as she sat back in her chair and became very ticked when the ship gunner did not relay the order to the ship's guns, "Well...what are you waiting for? Shoot them!"

"Ma'am..." The blond man...no, girl stated timidly but then stood up with a defiant face, "I can't...I can't comply with that order..."

"WHAT?" The Captain jumped out of her chair and held up the disobedient officer while the crew looked on in confusion and fear, "I am the Captain of this ship! I command life and death! And if you won't do as I say..."

"What? You want me to save you a spot in hell?"

"Fuck it! Take this little whelp to the brig," The Captain ordered as she threw down the officer and sat down at the controls as guards slowly escorted the officer from the bridge, "I'll do it myself."

"Ma'am!" The Communication's officer reported with a loud tone, "We are picking up a line from the vessel-"

"Easier target!" The Captain stated with glee and then called into the intercomm, "Fire upon the vessel!"

"Yes ma'am." The gunnery crew reported back as she stood up and sat down in the captain's chair. She cross her knees together as the Pegasus Class vessel opened fire on the merchant ship and an explosive ball broke out on the view screen.

"Direct hit?"

"...Direct hit...ma'am..."

"That was easy..." The Captain stated as she sat back in her chair after breaking off communications with the gunnery crew, "Continue our course for earth-" The girl was jilted in place when a massive force impacted the ship and caused controls on the bridge to explode and knock their officers to the ground.

"MA'AM!" The Analysis Officer cried out in panic, "SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE STARBOARD HULL! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" His controls then exploded and he flipped back before landing on the floor.

"What?" The Captain asked in shock as she turned to the Surveillance officer, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"WE'RE NOT PICKING UP ANYTHING!" He cried in panic before his controls blew up in his face as another force ruptured the ship and he slammed his head into the controls.

"Report..." Allstar muttered into her comm and failing to hear an answer from engineering, she repeated herself, "REPORT!"

"WE'VE LOST ALL SENSORY FUNCTION!"

"POWER IS DROPPING! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"LIFE SUPPORT IS DETERIORATING! ORDERS CAPTAIN!"

"The...Hell..." The girl muttered in shock as the stability charts of the Stallion began to flash red on multiple sections. So she sat huddled in her chair, surrounded by the still bodies of her crew as people cried out in agony and pain at this unseen attacker, "What the hell is happening?"

"Hell?" A cocky voice asked as outside of the bridge's window, the white outline of a cloaked mobile suit stalked towards the bridge as a beam scythe blazed in the blackness, "That's about the right way to describe where you're going."

"Who...who are you?"

"THE GOD OF DEATH!" As the Captain screamed, the mobile suit leapt up above the damaged ship and flew back down, slashing it's scythe through the Command Deck and throwing the Captain forward onto her face...

And the everything grew dark.

* * *

**Sanc Kingdom Capital Academy**

"That is enough." The lights flashed on and smoke cleared as a blond woman in her mid-twenties walked over to the young woman wrapped in a fetal position, "Flay? Flay Allster?"

"Miss Relena..." Flay muttered in panic as she slowly stood up while others did likewise, "I...I don't know what to say..." The command deck was now within a blocked off room with various windows where several students of the Capital Academy observed the test from seated positions.

"You're actions speak plainly, Miss Allster." Relena stated plainly with a smile that didn't attempt to mask disappointment, "I would say that what happened to you was appropriate given your course of action."

"What?" Flay asked before the events of her test returned to her shell-shocked mind, "What the hell was Deathscythe doing in a Britannian merchant ship?"

"If you had bothered to attempt communications," Relena explained as her smile waned, "You would have discovered that the Rose Astray was a relief ship filled with refugees seeking sanctuary in non-affiliated federation territory."

"Oh really?" Flay asked in disbelief as scorn began to surface on her face, "So there wasn't an invincible fleet waiting to-"

"That is not what we are here to discuss." Relena interjected, "You fired unprovoked upon an unarmed vessel. Explain your reasons."

"How would I know that it wasn't a trap?" Flay asked in outrage, "If I had gone in and helped them, for all I know, Britannian's could have been on board and they'd have seized my ship."

"So you allowed paranoia to judge your actions?" Relena asked as Flay balled her fists in frustration, "Why didn't you simply scan the ship for any energy signatures? Or attempt to speak with the crew to ascertain their communication ability."

"They didn't have any-"

"How did you know that? You based your decisions solely on pre-supposed information." Relena pointed out, "And you even gave an order to murder those who you had no reason to harm and did so without pity, even when your own crew did the right thing and defied your order."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Flay yelled at the top of her lungs, "You're really going to fail me because of my reasons? If I had gone in there, what always happens would happen! An infinite fleet of Colonial's...Covenant...Pirate...or whatever crazy-ass shit this test comes up with would have come out of nowhere and killed me! What the hell was I supposed to do? Knowingly risk my life for idiots who could got themselves trapped in the first place and could be the very enemy?"

"Yes, because that is the one thing that we cannot let go of." Relena answered without raising her voice, "The moment which we cease to forget that our fellow man is equal in every regard and that their life is as precious as ours, whether they love or hate us...that is the moment when we cease to be human."

"This is some bullshit if I've ever heard it!" Flay barked while her fellow classmates just watched this spectacle with unsurprised annoyance, "If you wanna fail me then go ahead!"

"I'm explaining the reason why you failed." Relena chatised as she held up her hand to halt the movement of one of the other students, "Do you even know what this test is about?"

"To see what we can do? Test the limits of our creativity?"

"It was a test of heart." Relena stated, "To test what you would feel in the face of unknown circumstances, unknown odds, and an uncertain chance of survival. This test is not about whether you pass or fail, but about what you did. Did you even try to exhaust all other options Flay? Did you believe that there were any? I would've accepted the course of action to abandon the ship to save your crew."

"But as soon as you learned that it was a Britannian vessel, you changed your disposition. You allowed hatred and prejudice to blind your judgement and fire on the vessel regardless of the possible repercussions for your crew. A leader who acts only on their personal interest is exactly the kind of leader that will have a short and divided career. You did not even attempt to listen to the advice and words of your crew, you just pressed on with your actions because of your self-centered hatred."

"That is why you failed." Relena finished, her eyes narrowed on the self-centered diva who was just teeming with frustration at yet another failed run at this test, "Dismissed."

"Whatever!" Flay barked in a tone that few would ever attempt with the Queen of the nation she was walking in, "You coming or not Sai?"

"Excuse me Miss Relena." One of the student's apologized as he reluctantly followed his girlfriend from the testing center while Relena dropped the issue and helped a student sit up and recover from the shock of the very real simulation.

"She makes my older sister look like a saint." The student acting as the Communication's Officer stated as a student acting as guard helped her stand, "Six of them in fact. Even Cornelia wouldn't have done something that cruel."

"Euphie that isn't the opinion that most would hear."

"Suzaku!" Euphie lightly slapped the back of Suzaku's head while Relena motioned for the two of them to exit the simulation bridge, "I didn't say she was all that nice."

"I am sure that Cornelia would have operated appropriately." Relena replied as they left the room along with a few other dazzled and dizzy students, "The thing about this test is that even I don't truly understand it. My husband designed it to be virtually unwinnable. Every single detail apart from your vessel and the vessel that you come upon is randomized to ensure that the test never becomes predictable."

"So...you've had students who faced the test and never saw opposition?" Euphie asked in curiousity while Suzaku tried very hard not to remember his abysmal attempt at this test.

"A few times, yes." Relena answered without revealing the names of those students, "At least, they acted before their adversaries arrived."

"Why wasn't I one of them?" Suzaku lamented, "I mean...Euphie coming out of hyperspace at the head of the Britannian Grand Navy demanding all Japanese to die? Wearing blood-soaked dress? And then she fires at me personally?"

"As I said, completely random." Relena shrugged her shoulders, "My husband hasn't even found a way to beat the test himself. Sometimes that man even amazes himself."

"Beat it?"

"To emerge completely victorious without retreating or compromising," Relena answered another student named Athrun, "That would be the best way to describe it."

"I see...If I might ask, has anyone ever...beaten this test?"

"Euphie..." Suzaku said, "Don't make me feel worse than I already do-"

"Three." Relena answered to the surprise of her students, "Both of you know who one of them is."

"Figures." Suzaku answered annoyed because he knew how that one would have beaten the test. Damn cheater. "What about the other two?"

"Athrun! Suzaku! Miss Relena!" A young man asked as he sprinted down the hall and nearly fell down after he stopped in front of Relena.

"Kira?" Relena asked as the young man began panting in place. Based on the mud in his shoes, he had ran a good ways to get to them, "Calm down, what's wrong?"

"Luxembourg..." Kira breathed, "The Germans are moving into Wiltz."

"What?" Euphie asked in horror and shock, "I thought that the two sides had reached a cease-fire agreement?"

"That little bitch..." Kira's blond brother...no...sister muttered before punching her palm, "Just like someone trained by NERV, she probably manipulated the locals into attacking her men and then used it as justification for a counter-assault."

"Maybe." Suzaku stated in a tone of agreement.

"Father would approve of course." Euphie muttered to herself before addressing her teacher, "Miss Relena...about our discussion the other day..."

"I remember." Relena answered, "We were debating on whether there was a true moral line from which there is no return?

"What of those who have already gone beyond that point?"

"If you seek to define others as monsters," Relena began as most of the students ran off to the main lounge to watch this news unfold, "You become one yourself, Euphie."

"You haven't answered my question." Suzaku saw where this was going and tried to walk away, but his hand was still held by his girlfriend's, "What do we do with those who choose to become monsters? Who knowingly bring harm to others and don't flinch or care? What do you say to them?"

"I would pity them." Relena answered, "Those who know only how to take, how to inflict harm instead of heal, who know only to use power as a means to gain their desires...they are wounded souls. Souls who build up great visible power to use as masks to hide the emptiness that they hold on the inside."

"I understand why you would think as you do." Relena said as she placed a hand on Euphie's shoulder, "It can't have been easy growing up in your position...But to become as they are...to become what you describe as a monster is an act that harms them just as badly. The act of murder, taking a life without justification or provocation, is an act that harms the very soul."

"So you believe there is a time to fight?" Suzaku asked, picking up on Miss. Relena's choice of words.

"I never said that there wasn't." Relena clarified as she pulled out her cellphone, pressed the quick dial and waited until her call was answered, "Is Father Maxwell available?"

* * *

**Luxembourg Capital Defense HQ  
**

The General never liked going into this room. In fact, he never planned on entering this room after the ceasefire was arranged.

After the brutal treatment of civilians evicted from Diekirck, the President declared that the Luxembourg military was justified in defending it's people and thus began the short but brutal fall of his beloved nation.

By the time a ceasefire was negotiated, Germany had all but won the engagement. And then, regardless of who shot first, the ceasefire broke within a day and here he was.

"Report!" General Philip De Dauphon commanded as he walked through the wreckage of the meeting room and waited for someone to answer.

"Sir..." An officer in tattered clothes began, "Our entire eastern front was crushed...Mertert is in ruins..and the enemy is advancing into Wiltz."

"Sir!" A messenger ran into the room and pulled out a partially burnt document, "The Last lines have been breached!"

"I thought the enemy wasn't supposed to attack Wiltz until-"

"We were tricked sir!" The messenger stated as the General read through the reports and was appalled at all of the reports of senseless and in vain sacrifices, "It was a false lead to lower our guard...the battle was over before it began..." The messenger then fainted and fell to the floor.

"Damn!" With all other options exhausted, the General decided to use the authority granted to him by his nation's president, "Deploy the Planet Buster!"

"It's not even 20% complete sir!" An aide protested in reasonable fear, "It's only capable of making a dent-"

"A smoldering dent that will replace those Britannian dogs!" The General declared, "If we're going to die, then by God! We're taking every last one of those jew-hating, puppy killing, school girl raping, psychotic pyromaniacs with us!"

"I think you're only talking about one of them-"

"ALRIGHT SMARTASS! YOU'RE FRANCIS! YOU'RE COY! AND I GUESS YOU MUST BE CAPTAIN LOT! SO YOU CALL ME GENERAL SIR DIEHARD MCBABYKILLER!" The General madly barked before he repeated his order, "AND I ORDER YOU TO DEPLOY THE PLANET BUSTER!"

* * *

**Lorraine, Area 1 (France)  
**

Just south of the Luxembourg border sat a small, but ornate estate that currently housed the Second Prince of Britannia. From here, it's occupants had a good view of the gentle and serene environment of the "French" countryside.

But here, Prince Schneizel el Britannia spied another sight within the northern skies.

"Do you see that?" An old japanese doctor asked as the clouds were swept away by a massive explosion that blinded out view of the Luxembourg skies.

"Yes Dr. Kabuto, Yes I do." The Prince told his stunned companion after the explosion lessened, revealing that the skies above Luxembourg had now become red like blood.

"Just as I thought." The old doctor said, "Luxembourg was developing a Buster Project...damned fools...Look what you've pushed them to do!"

"The Buster Project would have taken years to get to this point." The White Prince pointed out, "And with the relief money that my father was about to hand them, they would have accelerated the project to complete a more perfect Buster Weapon." With a wave of his hand, Schneizel dismissed the professor as an old friend entered onto his balcony.

"We've lost communications with our forces in Wiltz..." The Duke reported rather lightly as he leaned over the rail to watch the spectacle in the distance, "Shall we send out reinforcements-"

"If the little brat dies, then she was not meant to live."

"As you wish sir." The Prince's once-classmate acknowledged without a dent to his charming face, "Lelouch won't be happy if she dies though."

"Since when have I cared about what Lelouch feels?" If anything, her death would destroy whatever plan he had. Which would would mean that his own would go through without heavy opposition.

"He is your brother."

"You're right, Trieze..." Schneizel chuckled, "But you must understand the position of the older brother, no?"

"I confess, I was an only child." Trieze Kushrinada admitted candidly, "Despite the news, you are rather chipper."

"You do not hear the song of death in the morning?" The White Prince asked as he heard the orchestra of the hour begin, "Already one can hear the Valkyries riding into the mortal fields, reaping the souls of the fallen warriors."

* * *

**Wiltz, Luxembourg**

War waged upon Ground Zero.

Fully aware of the possibility of the deployment of the Buster, Wiltz's Leo Unit and Infantry had made the proper arrangements in order to survive the initial drop and the intense heat that ravage the area for months without end.

Once the signal had been given that the bomb would be dropped, the units ducked and covered themselves. After the explosion was finished, they launched their counter assault to repel the battered invaders.

But they weren't battered at all.

The enemy nightmare frames continued to advance, protected by that damned demon.

Knowing that it was life or death, the Leo's opened fire, stunned that the demon's barrier had not even given way in the slightest. Several Ares also launched into the air to take advantage of the mostly grounded invasion force. This counterattack would either destroy the enemy or they would be destroyed in the attempt.

But the demon marched.

It spearheaded the assault, ammunition failed to penetrate it's invisible barrier. It was extended out and above the invasion force's vanguard like a phalanx. When it approached the defenses, the barrier broke down defensive fortifications and either destroyed or disabled leos that the barrier passed through.

Soon, the invasion force truly began their assault. And by then, it wasn't even a battle, it was a massacre. The battle lines of the defenders were scattered within moments as Britannian supplied Sutherland Knightmare Frames and Gareth's attacked, led by a draconic mecha that soared through the red skies and emitted flames that burned through metal and melted it down to liquid as it's mad pilot sang through the air.

On another part of the enemy front, the defenders were confronted by a very different enemy. A mecha in the shape of a black liger that emitted a powerful barrier that was not as powerful as the demon's but left defender's wasting ammo in a desperate bid to break through before the liger pulled out long energy blades from it's sides and ran through the ranks of the defenders, cutting several units into pieces as it ran.

But the buster bomb did not leave anything unscathed, the German's did take moderate casualties from the attack, the Baroness in particular was now forced to wear nothing but her poka-dot swimsuit that she wanted to keep for her victory occasion. Seeing as that her dress had been burnt in the attack and her uniform was back at her new estate, this would have to do for now.

"Baroness." The Commanding Sutherland of her forces reported, "The Luxembourg President has sent an official declaration of surrender-"

"Burn it and proceed with the attack." The Baroness commanded as her demon stood amidst the ranks of her forces, "What?"

"Baroness...You will not even hear what he has to say? Why press on with an already won battle and waste more resources?"

"Won? This isn't about winning or losing." She told the officer, "This is about sending a message. You can't bite the hand that feeds you and expect to get off without a harsh whipping."

"Of course, ma'am." The officer agreed, "And the civilians?"

"What about the civilians?"

"Understood, Baroness." The officer cut the transmission and rejoined the fight as the German Artillary Units launched their attacks from hundreds of miles away and created blooms of energy and explosions across the lines of the wayward and retreating Luxembourg defenders.

"They wanna burn themselves into hell?" The Baroness asked as she willed her demon to join this fray and get it done with so that she could go home, "Then let's help em out!"

* * *

**The eye which can see the invisible**

"Am I dreaming?" Hitomi Kanzaki asked her self as she stood within a strange empty abyss flanked by two very pale beings crucified to a cross and a giant rock by a connected pair of lances, "That's a stupid question Hitomi! But just to be sure." Hitomi unzipped her shirt and checked her assets.

"Oh great...one of those dreams..." Hitomi lamented as she zipped up her uncomfortably large bust and watched as the beings melded into their cross and rock and her grandmother's pendant floated up in front of her, "Time for some thinly veiled foreshadowing..."

As Hitomi watched, her pendent liquified and changed into two different streams, one white and the other red that circled around each other until they formed into beautiful roses that were lifted by different gusts of wind and set upon two platforms that stood against each other above the solid abyss.

Two different hands grabbed the roses as their owners stood in challenge and defiance of one another in what some would figure to be some kind of duel.

On one platform was Kaiba in his badass trench coat holding nine cards in his hand and a blue eyes shining white dragon looming behind him.

On the other platform, a man with red and gold spiky hair with a leather suit underneath a school jacket also had nine cards in his hand and behind him stood a soldier in black luster armor.

The Dragon flew out and fired a beam of blue light that clashed against the soldier's shield as Kaiba and his opponent furled out their arms as their cards burned in their hands. Then from the flames came darkened figures that clashed in a massive explosion and continued their destructive battle while Kaiba leapt onto the dragon and allowed it to eat him and his opponent was stabbed by the sword and absorbed into his knight.

Then the dragon flew down and engulfed the warrior that Kaiba summoned as the Knight did the same to the opponent's warrior. The dragon then grew another mouth on top of it's skull and when it opened that mouth, Kaiba's smirking face was inside it as the dragon began to take on a more humanoid form. Then the opponent's knight took off his helmet to reveal his spiky hair and an egyptian eye glowed on it.

Standing off, the Dragon Knight and Luster Knight clashed blades and powers against one another as the blood shed stained into the floor of their field of battle and eroded more and more of it as they fought. Then the Luster Warrior launched out his arm as some sot of rocket powered attack while the Dragon Knight emitted a powerful barrier that caught the attack and fired a large beam that struck through the Luster Knight.

As the Dragon Knight and Luster Knight prepared to finish their duel with their swords, their collided swords melded together into a strand-styled helix that sprout out drills that struck both knights before the drills produced drills and those drills produced larger drills that pierced the sky as they sprout larger drills that struck the moon and sun and those drills...

It continued on and on until a great lance struck the helix strand and the two melded together into a drill ordained helix lance which a glowing being with an eye mask took and swallowed before he grew wings that pierced through the knights and absorbed them to leave behind two very naked duelists before the being turned on them and two red gems broke out of their chests that turned into armored warriors that launched out at the being-

"AH!" Hitomi awoke with a start, panting with stunned relief and confusion at what she had just seen, "That...wasn't...expected..."

"What wasn't expected?" A drowsy Van asked next to her, "Another dream?"

"Yeah..."

"Was it about your sister?"

"No...it might have been about you..." Hitomi answered, unsure of whether she could even make sense of what she just saw, "But...I really don't know..."

"Dreams come and go..." Van started, but he must've remembered his fiance's particular gift with dreams. Because he pulled Hitomi closer to him, "Most of the time."

"Yeah...you're right." Hitomi said, taking comfort in the strong arms of her future husband. "But who would ever have such a ridiculous hair style?"

"You'd be surprised Hitomi."

* * *

**Meanwhile Thousands of Miles Away.**

"Go! Black Luster Soldier and Dark Paladin Girl!" The victorious duelist cried as his scantily clad paladin princess and his soldier prepared to finish off their enemy monsters, "SHOW THEM WHAT TRUE POWER IS ALL ABOUT!" As the King of Games watched, his monsters slashed across the field destroying everything in sight, including a serpent night dragon that had been depowered by the duelist's tactics.

"NOOOO!" The gang of defeated thugs cried as their life points rapidly dropped to zero, "It's not possible!"

"Denial is always the first step." The victor declared as the duel concluded and his monsters vanished from sight, "I defeated all of you fair and square, now hand over your money."

"But I thought-"

"That was when I thought I was dueling a competent team." The duelist stated as he turned off his "DUEL DISK SYSTEM!", "Not a bunch of whiny drop-outs who don't know the difference between a magic card and a trap card.

"This game sucks anyway!" One of the defeated cried out as he set his deck on fire, "I'm going home!"

"Not without my money!" As the victor made his demands, the thugs all pulled out very real and very visible guns though only a few looked like they had ever shot anyone with it.

"Look man..." A younger kid stated for the armed boys, "We don't want to shoot you-"

"Of course not, otherwise you would have shot me before engaging in this pointless duel." The victor pointed out, unfazed by the guns pointed at his pointy hair, "Now give me my money and piss off!"

"Never!" The thugs opened fire all at once, they didn't have a hard target and it wasn't as though this guy had magical powers.

Unless it was those very powers that were holding back their bullets.

"Have it your way!" The victor declared as an Egyptian eye appeared on his forehead and he threw out his arm, "MIND CRUSH!" Suddenly, the air around the thugs tightened and randomly changed color before it cracked and broke all around them, causing every one of them to fall back with mental damage ranging from catonic to vegetative.

"We're in the money...the sky is sunny..." The King of Games sung as he picked out a good few hundred bucks from the thug's pockets, "Let's lend it, spend it, send it bowling along!"

"Never sing that again."

"Agreed." The victor stated to his less dominant half, "Damn...I want...milk..."

"You know we could just go to-"

"Fetch me a nipple!" The victor declared as he began to walk through the square without even bothering to call the hospital to pick up the unmoving losers, "And a tutu."

* * *

**Kaiba's Room**

"Huh!" Seto nearly fell out of his bed after waking up. He had just gone through the latest of his trippy nightmares that stemmed from his trip to the sub-basement. This always happened every time he went down there, making even the most basic dream into a messed-up art show that only an American animator like Richard Williams would be able to make sense out of.

"Man I need to lay off the-" Seto was jogged out of his thoughts when someone knocked on the door.

"Are you alright Mr. Kaiba?"

"Of course I'm alright, why would you think otherwise?" Seto asked as he stood up and an assistant opened the door.

"Because you're sweating so badly that it looks like you wet yourself?"

"Fair observation." Kaiba noted before he went back to his bed, "Now piss off."

"Also sir..." The assistant held out a card for Kaiba to take, "This card came in the mail." Kaiba grabbed the card and held in front of his face as confusion glazed across his drowsy eyes.

"What the hell is this?" The card showed a black helmet that looked like it was designed by a victorian in drag and at the bottom was a single phrase that Kaiba didn't care to translate.

"It says, Deshi Basara." The assistant answered nervously, "Fire Rises, Mr. Kaiba."

"Oh whoopdy-f#%king-doo!" Kaiba yelled as he threw the card away and pulled his covers over his head, "Any kid in pre-school could tell you that."

"I believe this might be a threat on your life sir-"

"Then tell Mokuba about it," Seto stated, "Probably means that someone's about to try and kidnap him."

* * *

**District 25  
**

"Why not?" This was just another one of those days. Kanti watched the teens bicker about some restaurant called Hell's Kitchen just as they were about to enter it, "I know the customer service isn't great but-"

"It's not the waiters, I hate how people always stare!" Eri yelled while Kanti noticed a homeless man leaning against the wall. Next to him was a can filled with fives, ones and coins, but the man didn't move.

"You're worried about that?" Naota asked, "That's kid's stuff Eri."

"Yeah, aren't we kids though?"

"Depends on who you ask." Naota turned from Ninamori and walked over to the homeless man, pulling out a hundred and putting it in his can, "Hey mister, do we look like kids?"

"Spare some change?" The man asked without moving, Kanti was starting to have a bad feeling about him.

"Huh?" Eri asked while Naota just looked on in confusion, "Are you alright?"

"I almost had it last time..." The man said, a nametag on his dirty shirt read, Kinzo Kodakarayama, "Just...five for the races and..."

"Another alcoholic..." Naota muttered as he walked away from Kinzo and Eri scrowled at him, "And they wonder why they're homeless and on the streets."

"Naota..."

"I'm telling the truth." At the same time that Kanti did, the two teens stopped bickering in time to see a white lance fall out of the sky and stop above Kinzo's head as a blinding light grew forth that blinded out any sign of the homeless man as Naota instinctively grabbed Ninamori and leapt onto the side of the building next to them as the light sent out a large burst of air before fading out, leaving no trace of the homeless man.

"I could've done it myself." Ninamori said as Naota held onto the bottom of a window frame while Kanti stood on the roof scanning for any change in energy patterns.

"What was that?" Naota asked as he climbed back down and was mildly surprised that no one else noticed the large blinding light, the white spear that came out of nowhere, or gave much head to the crater that remained where the homeless man used to be.

"You picking me up and molesting me."

"I'm not-" Naota stopped when he rubbed his hand, felt a low moan from Eri and realized that his hand was under her shirt and right on her... "Gah! Sorry..."

"Kind of wish you'd do it more often." Eri mischieviously whispered after Naota quickly pulled out his hand.

"Why don't you ask then?" Naota whispered back.

"Who says that I need to?" Eri replied before pulling her head back and looking around the area, "By the way...where did he go?"

"I'm going to say a better place." Naota shrugged as Ninamori grabbed his hand and pulled him towards Hell's Kitchen, "Not so picky now are we?"

Kanti just took the whole thing in with good humor.

* * *

**Anima's Road**

He exhaled as Eva landed on it's feet and shot into a sprint to avoid the blast of the mines he was setting off.

The sprint was rapid and focused, simply because a single misstep would lead to an endless fall from the ever narrowing passage way that was his road.

Seeing a gap approach from ahead, the boy willed his Eva to leap over the edge of the dead-end, barreling in mid-air to avoid missile fire before landing on the other side of the road and forming an orange sheath around it's body to withstand the blast of the mine that was triggered.

Wasting no time, Eva continued it's sprint down the spiraling road and barely paid attention to the change of ceiling direction that this road constituted. But the pilot did not allow the odd environment to distract him, as he ran, Eva created a barrier burst to ward off the swarms of missiles that were shooting at it from out of the unknown emptiness before it made it out and drew both knives to slash through an 80 meter block that rose up to obscure his path.

Eva expanded out it's barrier to push away the debris and continued to run down the narrow road as more blocks rose up from the abyss and arranged themselves into a strange obstacle course.

Eva picked up speed as it leapt over the first hurdle and compacted it's barrier around it's form to destroy the two blocks that crashed onto it to destroy it. It pushed out the barrier to clear it's path before it jumped forward and grabbed a swinging ledge and flipped over another gorge to continue down it's road.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center Observation Room  
**

"Good afternoon everyone." Roger Smith greeted as he entered the room and saw Simon and Van watching a view screen along with a few technicians and DF members.

"Hey Roger." Van greeted while Simon waved, "Where's Bit?"

"He already started moving into his new pad." Roger answered as he sat next to Simon and joined them in watching E-Anima's apparently rigorous training course, "Dorothy and Annie went with Leena to shop for something to make it look nicer."

"How bad does it look?"

"It doesn't look bad, it just looks...dull." Roger admitted to Commander Armada, "Anyway, what are we watching?"

"Shinji is in the simulator, finishing tests on E-Anima."

"Interesting." Roger noted, internally stunned about how real this simulator truly looked.

"The test is being conducted to test patches to flaws shown in E-Anima's last deployment," answered a man that Roger was honestly suprised to see.

"I thought you would have been gone by now."

"My gundam's guidance system is still under maintenance." Heero answered, "Until then, I will have to stay here until it is repaired."

"You could go on home without it and-"

"Then I would have to press this button to self destruct it's core." Heero stated as the room grew quiet enough to hear a cricket chirp, "The estimated result would destroy the entire inner districts of your city...at the very least."

"Point taken." Van stated while the others just looked at the gundam pilot with a heightened sense of weariness, "So you have something against Kaiba too?"

"Policy." Heero answered, "Gundam's power is too great to be placed in unworthy hands."

"How do you figure that out?"

"Are you still alive?"

"Point taken." Van stated as E-Anima's simulation finished and the screen turned blank as the control team above began to record the data taken from this simulation.

"Hi everyone..." Shinji said as he entered the room, wiping sweat from his brow after the intense test that he just went through.

"Nice job, Aniki."

"Guys..."

"No really," Van stated, "Rank 9's pretty high up on the chart Shinji, nice job."

"Guess so..." Shinji said as he held his shoulder, "Why does it always feel sore?"

"The simulator was created to be as projectively real as possible." Mokuba answered from the control deck, "But thanks to this data, we can consider E-ANIMA officially complete!"

"Excellent news..." An effiminate technician said from behind Simon, how he got there was anyone's guess, "Now me and Simon can have the simulator all to ourselves..."

"I think an adult should be present."

"I am an adult." Leeron laughed and stood up, "Besides, I'm still fascinated by Viral's furry and feral build...where did he get it?"

"Is he like this..."

"All the time?" Simon finished for Shinji and then rubbed the back of his head as he thought about it, "Yeah."

"About as bad as Misato's glomping..." Shinji said as he looked out the window and saw the technician's readjusting the silent Eva, "Wonder how she's doing right now..."

"You're...not mad at her?"

"I was..." Shinji answered a worried Simon, "But...I talked with Hikari and her roommate and she actually left me a message on Hikari's phone..."

"Really?" Simon asked while Shinji's face grew a small smile that made Simon return his own, "Guess she never stopped caring about you..."

"No...but...Nothing's going to be the same."

"Aniki?" Shinji's face became a bit sadder after saying that. What wasn't going to be the same, "What do you mean, aniki?"

"Don't worry about it Simon." Shinji assured the younger boy, "Am I done here, Mokuba?"

"Yeah, you're good for today Shinji."

"I haven't seen Bit in a while..." Van admitted as he sat up, "Let's go bug him!"

"Sounds good to me." Simon agreed as the rangers and DF pilots vacated the observation room, "Do you wanna come Mr. Yuy?"

"Very well." Heero agreed without a change in tone, though this was not done out of malice.

"Talkative." Roger observed, "That's one more name off of my baby-sitter list."

"Oh...there is something you could do Mr. Shinji..." Leeron said as Shinji passed him. While Shinji asked to hear what it was, Leeron slapped a piece of tape over Shinji's arm and quickly pulled it off as the young boy yelped, "That'll be all."

"What was that for?"

"A test I wanted to run." Leeron answered while Shinji skeptically looked as though Leeron was holding a pair of scissors, "Now run-along..."

"Okay..." Shinji slowly answered as he quickly left the room and Leeron opened a door in hyperspace and exited the waiting room to enter the control center where Mokuba sat waiting.

"Is this what you needed Mokuba?" Leeron asked as the other technicians looked on in shock and awe at the hyperspace door that closed behind the odd head engineer of the Dai-Gurren Brigade.

"Exactly." Mokuba answered as he took the tape, "Did you take a look at the data I sent you?"

"I'm quite intrigued..." Leeron answered as he took a chair next to the young Kaiba, "Let's see where it takes us honey..."

"...eh..."

"Do I look a child molester?"

"I didn't say anything."

* * *

**Hover Cargo in the Wastland**

The White Liger had won!

The Deathsaurer lied broken into pieces before it, most prominant in a large pile of broken zoids while their pilots cried for mercy within their cockpits.

Satisfied, the White Liger roared into the sky and surveyed the status of his friends...half of them...mostly command wolfs and saber fangs, lied dead in the hills behind him.

Was this the cost of peace?

Even his closest friends: A Pterys that was skewered on a Dobison's horn; Lightning Saix that was missing an arm; and the exhausted but up-beat Berserk Furher were not left unhurt. Some of them, an Iron Kong that drowned in a pool of it's own cowardice and the Hover Craft, horribly ravaged and raped by it's now stricken foes.

But there was one that the White Liger truly cared for. One who it loved above all others. She lied at the bottom of a crater, the remnants of her brother blade liger were scattered around the shield liger as the white liger bounded down to her. Her body was intact, but covered with grievous wounds and scars that worried the White Liger.

Though injured himself, the White Liger had to know if she was alright. He had to know because-

"Dr. Tauros?"

"Jamie!" Steve Tauros gasped in surprise and fell out of his chair. But realizing the situation he had been caught in, he quickly stood up and held out his arms to mask the toys that he was just playing with, "You did not just see me playing with action figures, right?"

"No sir..." Jamie stated with a sign, "We need you on the bridge..."

"Fine..." Tauros decided that he would just have to finish his game later. So he followed his young assistant through the halls of his Hover Cargo and emerged in the control center.

"Oh my..." Tauros muttered when the center's rader and screen picked up a chaotic battle going on fourteen miles northwest of the Hover Cargo. "Jamie? Is there a battle going on over there?"

"Yes it is." Jamie answered as he punched through the data on exactly who was fighting.

"A very one sided battle too..." Tauros noted since one side, a force with strangely computer signals swarmed and surrounded the smaller force of mobile suits, infantry and one odd bio-mechanical signature that Tauros did not immediately recognize.

"What's going on?" A young boy with long black hair asked when he entered the control center, "Oh cool! Is that a battle?

"Yes Vega...yes it is..." Watching the explosions on the horizon, Tauros came up with an idea, a way to test out the new modifications that he'd made to the Blitz Team's newest zoid, "Wanna go check it out?"

"Why not?" The young boy stated in mock reluctance, "I need some exercise anyway."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Events all over the place are starting to get pretty hectic aren't they? Is this story about to shift to a new group of main characters? How does something happening on the other side of the world affect our heroes? Will Dr. Tauros' newest recruit make a difference? What about that homeless man with a fixation on races? Will Hitomi's dreams have bearing on things to pass?  
**

**At this point, any of that could be true.**

**On another note, I will confess two things that I had difficulty with on this chapter.**

**See, when you try to put something into the story that's intended to be a mind screw for your audience, it's kind of double-herring because of this simple fact:**

**No matter how trippy you make the sequence, you'll always know exactly what everything means. Even if it means nothing.**

**(Exp: In Evangelion, there are a lot of christian, jewish and kabbalist symbols that audiences have scratched their heads and thrown their minds through the roof to figure out. It even came to a point that Hideki Anno just came out and said that the symbols don't really mean anything and that he just put them in there because they looked shiny and cool.)**

**So my advice: Just write out the mind screw and don't be so caught up about it's true meaning. Just because of it's nature, most of your audience will be confused as hell anyway, so in that regard, you've already accomplished your task.**

**Also, have fun with it.**

**As promised, I went back and added a scene that I couldn't get right the first time, so enjoy it!  
**


	14. Return of the Defender

**Luxembourg City, Luxembourg**

"Sign here..."

"Okay..." The President's hand remained cupped onto his forehead as he ran his signature across another line on the document sitting on his desk. With a few more signatures, the suffering of his people would end...if only for the moment.

"Here."

"Yes Ma'am." He signed on another line, this time glancing around the room at his dead guards. He had told them to run, but they refused and were murdered within seconds by the silver haired bishonen maniac leaning against the wall.

"Here."

"Alright." This red-haired child was getting on his nerves. It's like the brat thought he couldn't read. Even if she was the leader of the invasion force and the pilot of that four-eyed demon, he just couldn't look at the baroness' face without wanting to slap it.

"And here."

"Done..." With the last signature, his country was now an official province of the Holy Britannian Empire. He would likely be remembered as a coward who got his own people killed, destroyed the land and then betrayed them when there was nothing left to lose.

History loves it's liars.

"And now, Luxembourg shall officially be known as..." The girl lied on his desk like it was her damned couch. Her uniform wasn't very modest by Britannian standards and with a suggestive pose like that, the now-former President focused his gaze on the ceiling to keep from being overwhelmed by the utter defeat and humiliation that this situation loved to rub into his face, "What Area will Luxembourg be? Schneize?"

"Don't call me that again." An equally annoyed prince on the view screen behind the president stated, "And honestly, I don't believe we will even consider this new territory an area. I shall decree as a "free zone" between Britannia and her brothers."

"What?" Becoming a province was one thing, but...a free zone was pretty much the same as establishing a shared area between countries. And since Britannia normally cares less about those areas... "You...tea loving...bastards..."

"We're Britannians, of course we love tea." The White Prince shot back while drinking a cup of tea, "Carry on Baroness.

"Thank you my prince," Thankfully the girl jumped onto her feet and saluted her country's ally, "All Hail Britannia!"

"Hail Britannia." The prince replied courtiously before the transmission was ended.

"So...what should we do with you?" The baroness asked as the president saw the girl eye him dangerously. To be honest, he could care less at this point, he was already living a fate worse than death with this utter defeat and especially after authorizing the drop of the Planet Buster.

"Can I burn him?"

"No, it's exactly what he'll want." The Baroness told the silver haired butcher. "You're going to officially address your people and inform them of the terms within the treaty you signed."

"But..." The president stood up in outrage and pulled out a not-so hidden pistol onto the girl, "Oh no...you're not going to turn me into a traitor to my people!"

"It's not like it's gonna make any difference." The butcher laughed while looking out the window at the aflamed area around the Capital Building, "They're screwed either way."

"So put the gun down..." The girl said with a sweet tone that would have worked on the President any other day, "You've lost."

"It's not even loaded anyway." A newcomer wearing a scarf pointed as he rode his armor-covered horse into the president's office, "From one survivor to another, if you want the enemy to kill you, don't give them time to think about it."

"What do you want?"

"Trust me, I don't wanna see your spoiled face any more than you wanna see mine." The man with furry claws and sharp teeth barked before looking around the room in what the president saw as a mix between disgust, annoyance, apathy and sadness as his horse snorted. "Yeah...I hear you Hiyama. Wrap this up fast, you're going to Quebec."

"Says who!" The Baroness yelled as the President dropped his gun. Was his country really brought to it's knees by this spoiled brat?

"Says your Commander." The messenger said as the Baroness grew silent, "I thought you wouldn't object..."

"Someone's about to get a spanking..."

"Folken wants to speak to you within the hour." Somehow, there was a sense of satisfaction that the butcher knew fear. He even dared allowed himself to smile when he saw the pretty boy visibly shake with fear, "No later."

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"Touji!"

"I can at least buy you guys some time..." The young man stated as he locked the hatch to his pilot capsule. Touji Suzahara wasn't really a technical guy, but he actually listened to Kensuke once in awhile when he and Mari traded hacking stories and picked up a few tricks.

"Damn fool..." He heard Misato whimper over his comm, but with everything crashing down on the convoy, this had to be done.

"Ma'am...we don't exactly have any options." He heard Kamille state as his "Zeta" mobile suit crouched down with a few others to form a defensive circle against the encrouching friends of Blackout. As soon as they took Kamille's advice and raided an abandoned Federation Storage Depo. for equipment, food and the thankfully intact mobile suits within, their stalker had called in a large group of other similar cybernetic soldiers to surround them.

He really wanted them dead apparently.

"If Toji activates Code B3..." Maya reported, "He should have enough power to fight off the enemy and clear a path for our escape-"

"And what about Toji?" Misato asked, "How much power will Unit 03 have while in B3 and you better give me a straight answer."

"Projected time..." Touji waited to hear an answer even as the firefight continued around them, "15 minutes...give or take."

"Plenty for me."

"Suzuhara! Do not activate that code! That is an order!"

"Sorry Miss Misato..." Touji apologized after exhaling and glancing at a photo of his finally recovered sister and father, "The comm must be jammed...I didn't get much of what you said anyway-"

"Touji! If you-"

"Fool? Yeah...Someone's gotta be..." With everything entered in, Touji stood up from his seat when the CPU requested a vocal confirmation of restraint that was about to be released, "Entry Code B3...THE BEAST!"

As soon as Unit 03's shoulder armor broke and flew from the eva, Touji doubled over as pain and adrenaline were pumped through his body. He knew the risks, he knew that this new system for a "Controlled Berserk Mode" was still potentially lethal to pilots. That was why his eva was the only one apart from Unit 02 to have one installed.

But now that the beast was loose, every one of those cybernetic bastards would squirm like worms on a hook. He could already feel Eva regenerate it's still unhealed injuries and regrow it's lost limbs. It was like this thing had been wearing weights it's whole life and was only now released.

"Nothing...Ventured...Nothing..." He said to himself as Eva 03 roared, "GAINED!" Eva spurred into action, it leapt over the defensive circle and towards the advancing wave of "Transformers". Seeing that his landing area was obscured, Eva pushed out it's hand as it flew down, watching as an orange barrier crashed down on a dozen of the transformer soldiers and crushed them into the sand.

Eva landed on it's feet and charged further into the machines. It headbutted the first one that it saw and snatched another in it's mouth before crunching down. He then threw the dying enemy at a small line of the soldiers before it stretch out it's arm beyond normal limits to stab through their chests and didn't flinch when they exploded.

With the arm still stretched out, Eva swung it at a group of transformers that were firing at him and watched as his arm cleanly cut through their bodies. The enemy was now utterly confused, firing wildly at the Eva but unable to penetrate it's now fully powered and very active AT Field.

The Eva pushed out with both arms, not even bothering to watch the transformer protoforms fall apart before the force of the Eva's unleashed state. In his state of unhindered rage, the Fourth Child was looking for the source of his reason for activating this system. Where was Blackout?

A pulse shot burst against Touji's AT field to confirm that he didn't run.

Though the blast didn't penetrate the field, the Eva was forced backwards and turned it's vicious gaze towards the Transformer as it fired another shot. Unit 03 leapt into the air to avoid the much more powerful blast and rocketed down towards Blackout. Unit 03 clawed across the Transformer's face before bringing it's other fist down onto the surprised machine's chest.

Still punching the Transformer, Touji ignored the intense pain that came to his fists each time Eva struck it. He was enthralled in the base desire for revenge after all. Unsatisfied, Eva stomped down it's leg onto the Transformer's head and opened it's jaws before biting down on it's chest.

As soon as he did that, he knew that he had made a mistake.

A much more concentrated and smaller pulse burst through the side of Eva's torso, sending it flying into the air before hitting the desert floor and all while strangely-blood like liquid sprayed out of the ugly wound. What made it especially bad was that in his current state, Touji's body was literally bleeding from a very reminescent wound.

Staggered by pain, the Eva did not notice a large-sized harley-davidson drive through the chaos before quickly transforming into another machine that leapt onto Eva's leg and fired into it's joint, bringing the enraged giant to it's knees as it grabbed the machine.

Then a blast struck it's arm and forced it to release the machine, Eva turned it's head before another blast impacted above the eye and forced it back onto the ground due to the improbably powerful blasts of two tanks.

"All that and I'm still just..." His eye forced shut from the blood that ran down the right side of his face, he watched the rader in a pained daze as the enemy surrounded his downed Eva while the others hadn't taken the least bit advantage of his methods. Great, he goes through all of this pain and effort and Misato won't bring herself to leave him.

Though after what happened with Shinji...he didn't blame her...

"Looks like you could use a hand." He heard someone comm before a protoform immediately standing over him was impaled by the green energy blade of a scythe that slowly rematerialized before his eyes along with a black winged mobile suit.

"Who?" Everything else became a daze for him as he realized that his Eva was being helped up by a strange group of robots even as they held off the numerous protoform transformers, "A gold star...a surfing robot...a robot with a lion head on it's chest...and a mecha dinosaur that shoots laser beams from it's mouth...am I in heaven?"

"Is there a babe waiting to smother you in her moist and massive mellons?"

"No..."

"Then get your ass up!"

"Who...who are you guys?"

"Name's Kittan, what about the rest of you?" The pilot of the Star Mecha asked as he looked around at the other newcomers, "In fact...what the hell are all of you doing out here?"

"Call me Father Maxwell and I'm just safeguarding some wayward looking sheep."

"Fukai Ao and...I really don't know..."

"Vega Obscura of the Blitz Team. Nice to meet you."

"Hunter Mamoru Latio. Are you okay?"

"I might be now..." Touji replied as his Eva managed to stand on it's feet, "You're all here to help us right?"

"Guess so." Maxwell shrugged as Blackout's army began to encroach on the six of them while Kamille's position was becoming newly assaulted when they tried to move out towards Unit 03.

"Good enough for me." Unit 03 roared as the six of them engaged the transformers, Touji had no idea about who these people were, but right now he wasn't complaining.

When life throws you an orange, you make orange juice.

* * *

**Angel Groove Light-rail Train En-route to D-19/D-41  
**

"Hikari?" Hikari blinked each time her roommate waved her hand up and down in front of her face. "You look a bit out of it."

"Sorry Noriko..." Hikari apologized as she rubbed her eyes and heard a low giggle from the passenger seated next to her on the train, "And before you say anything-"

"You don't even need to." Hitomi said while reading a book about "Spades", "Pretty trusting for a girl who thinks she doesn't have a shot-"

"Do you have to say it out loud!" This was what she got for talking to Hitomi about that night. Now everyone was taking pot shots at her to throw her out of her mind, it was really unbearable.

"You already did." Hitomi stated as Hikari leaned back in her seat and tried very hard to ignore the older schoolgirl.

"About what?" Noriko asked, thankfully she seemed to have allowed the whole thing to go over her head... "Oh! About Shinji?"

"You're friend's sharp Hikari."

"Thanks, I mean I was right next to them!" Hikari was silently begging and pleading to God to put her out of her misery right there, but somehow, she knew it wouldn't be answered.

"Hitomi...if you say another word..." Thankfully, a distraction came to view when the train stopped and a group of people Hikari recognized came aboard, "Oh look a distraction! Hi everyone!"

"Hi Hitomi!" Annie waved as she followed her mom and Leena onto the train.

"Ladies..."

"Good to see you Captain," Dorothy replied to Captain Price, "Hello Hitomi."

"Everyone," Hitomi said without taking her eyes off of her book, "I'm surprised that you weren't taking forever."

"Ha ha...I just had the shop deliver everything to the pad." Leena stated while they took their seats after some off-duty guards stood up, "Did I mention that I hate this train?"

"Then why are you on it?" Noriko asked while Hikari's face relaxed.

"And miss this little cat?" Leena said while rubbing Annie's hair and making the little girl laugh, "Nah..."

"Would you believe that I actually missed the station a few times?"

"What?" Leena asked in shock after Hitomi's confession, "But can't you see in the-"

"I could believe it." Price agreed and a few of his buddies nodded as well, "With the way Kaiba set up all of the districts, it's way to easy to miss your boarding station. We keep petitioning him to change it, but how do you think that's gone?"

"Well?"

"Spoken like a true rookie Noriko." Ghost stated while another guard from Russia chuckled.

"It's part of the deal..." Michael said while looking out the window at the moving scenery, "By the way, where's the rangers?"

"Bit stayed at the pad to clean it up and the others were gonna meet him there."

"We're decorating Bit and Leena's house!" Annie said excitedly as her mother wore a simple smile.

"Yeah...it kind of needs it..." Leena admitted, "I didn't even ask Bit what the place used to be..."

"What do you mean?"

"The whole building used to be a five floor hotel and Bit got a good deal on it from some guy named Secs...Zeks...morke or something like that..." Leena replied to Hikari, "It even has a large basement...large enough to store our zoids without taking up any space."

"Homemade Fallout Safe-house." A guard named Yuri spoke up, "Those things were popular back during the Universal Wars."

"You mean the ones where people dropped colonies on the planet?"

"The very same." Yuri answered as Noriko nervously gulped. Just then, the train abruptly stopped and knocked the guards off of their feet and rocked all seated passengers as the lights flickered off, "Why did we stop?"

"Damn it...the grid must be having problems again..." Sargeant Foley muttered as he stood up, "My apologies ladies...Ramirez! Check it out."

"You're right next to the door-" The private was cut off when a black set of pincers tore off the door and pulled it into a black spider that climbed into the train while half of the passengers panicked.

"What the hell!" Soap cried out as the other half stood up ready to confront this black spider or pulled out their weapons ranging from a katana for Hikari, a chinese longsword for Hitomi, a pair of double-barreled pistols for Leena, and all of the guards holding military grade assault rifles with differing types of ammunition.

Those who panicked, immediately fled into the next car.

"Flee if you must, the REGIS Mark V will track down your steps and obliterate your existence starting with your little ones." The Spider declared as it brought out a series of guns producing a stand-off on the train.

"Stay here and close your eyes." Dorothy told her oddly calm daughter as she stomped over to the Regis as if it was a bug that needed to be crushed.

"Stand aside primitive meat-bags and inferior construct." The Regis warned as it kept it's gaze on the DF guards and ignored Dorothy, "No being of rational mind would dare to challenge the Regis-" It was silenced when Dorothy slammed her arm through the machine's body before proceeding to lift it up and chop off each of it's guns with her fist before allowing the damaged machine to fall to the floor.

"Carry on gentlemen." Dorothy told the stunned guards as she walked past them and went to join her daughter while the spider twitched amidst it's heavy damage.

"Yes Ma'am." Ghost stated as he and the other DF members leveled their weapons at the bambuzzled spider, "Waste it." The off-duty pilots wasted no time, they opened fire on the spider as it attempted to stand up and one guard even pulled out a grenade launcher and fired it into it's eye. The entire train rocked as the guard's stopped to reload and saw that it the spider was now lying still.

"Ramirez...throw it outside."

"Got it chief." Ramirez acknowledged as he walked up to the slowly regenerating spider and shot it one more time before he grabbed one of it's legs and dragged it over to the doorway.

"The R.E.G.I.S. Mark V is invincible. No weapon forged by such a primitive species can defeat-" The Regis was silenced when Ramirez shoved a grenade into it's body and kicked it off of the moving train. As the train moved, it shook as an explosion went off somewhere behind it.

"The bloody hell...what was that?" "Sorry ma'am..."

"Some kind of...spider..." Leena answered as she put away her guns, "You alright Dorothy?"

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

"I am well, thank you." Dorothy assured her daughter and walked over to Foley, "Sergeant, could you check around the perimeter to ensure that it is dead."

"We can do that." Foley said before turning to the other "off-duty" guards, "Ghost, Dunn, Soap, and Ramirez all of you are with me. Price, you stay here with Michael, Rookie, Andrei, Yuri...think can you take it from here?"

"Got it. Don't get bitten."

"Please..." Foley shrugged off as he and his group jumped out of the sizable hole in the train wall before emergency panels emerged to cover over the damage.

"Why didn't that come out before?"

"Because Kaiba loves putting people into suspense, alright?" Hitomi said to Noriko before she sat back down like nothing ever happened.

"Off-days, the illusion's nice while it lasts." Michael muttered before disassembling his rifle, "Shi-...Stuff always gets crazy when Shiro and most of the others leave."

"Leave? Where did they go?"

"They went with Kamina to partake in awesome spectacular manly badas-" Andrei and Yuri slapped the back of his head before Michael said a word that wasn't great for kids to hear, "Cool stuff..."

"They shouldn't take long..." Hitomi figured before noting Yuri's choice of weapon, "By the way...why do you have a grenade-launcher on a civilian train?"

"You know...that is a good question." Hikari agreed, especially since said grenade launcher made the now covered hole a lot bigger than it was when the spider jumped in.

"Here's a better question." Yuri began calmly before rubbing the bullet-shaped scar on his forehead, "Why do you gals have swords instead of guns?"

"Japanese." Hikari and Hitomi answered at the same time. They seemed almost embarrassed about their answer as well.

"Kids..." Price muttered, "The only people who don't carry around some kind of weapon are rookies and civilians...it's a novelty thing. Cause the minute you don't have one...well...Murphy likes to take us off guard on my job."

"I don't have a gun."

"Like Price said, rookies and civilians." Michael said to a discouraged noriko, "And zoid pilots from the planet zeist-"

"Planet what?" Despite his threatening position of having a chain gun pointed to his face by Leena, nobody felt inclined to intervene and Hitomi regarded the stand-off with a bored disbelieving expression.

"Zi, I meant Planet Zi..." Michael corrected with a sweat drenched face that didn't go away when Leena lowered her chain gun, "What's the big deal anyway?"

"Long story short..." Leena replied before sitting back down, "We...don't like to talk about it."

* * *

**Blitz Pad, District 41  
**

"And here I thought it was nice..." Roger said as he and the other rangers plus Heero entered what is supposed to be Bit's new house. But it seemed more like a place that was hastily abandoned than anything else, half of the chairs were overturned and there were a noteworthy amount of potholes in the floor, cracks in the ceiling and bullet holes in the wall.

"It is," Shinji replied while looking around, "On the outside."

"Now I feel bad about letting Shiro and the others leave."

"Kaiba's orders from the sound of it." Simon replied to Van, "That...and Aniki wanted them to join him on a badass run."

"Badass run?"

"It's when he and some of the others go out and fight the beastmen." Simon answered Heero, "He wouldn't let me come because he said I needed a break or something..."

"I'm pretty sure that we're not missing anything." Shinji figured as he picked up a tape labeled___: No Man's Land Broadcast_, "Nothing special at all."

* * *

**Meanwhile...Epic Explosions!**

"Kamina! 50 at your 3 o'clock!" Yoko yelled as she leveled Dayakkaiser's rifle and fired at the crowd of beast-gunmen that were attempting to ambush her man.

Destroying them all with a single shot.

"Thanks babe! Time to flex my manly awesomeness!" Kamina declared as the line of felled beastmen exploded behind Gurren and the Dai-Gurren Brigade's leader pulled out his sunglasses and threw them at an airplane-type dai-gunzan that burst into flames and exploded Gurren's glasses slung back into it's hand, "Rossiu! How's the evacuations?"

"We've got all of the kids," Rossiu called in while using his gunman to hold off a herd of bull-beastmen and not giving a single inch, "But we won't have enough room for the sick and adults-"

"Take them all!"

"Kamina-"

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?" Kamina yelled as a volcano erupted underneath a group of beastmen and either shot them into the air or incinerated them in the flames of manliness, "We're taking every last one of these miners! So if you don't have room, make room! Got it?"

"Fine..." Rossiu stated as he willed his cloaked gunman to chop it's feet and start pushing back against the bulls. Rossiu then pulled his gunman's arm out of the shield and thrust both arms forward to send it rocketing through the swarm, leaving a trial of explosions and downed gunmen where it was sent.

"Hold the line boys!" On another part of the field, Shiro and several DF members had formed a wall against the advancing line of gunmen and were steadily advancing their line while recently rescued masses migrated behind their line, "Kiki! When the hell is our evac gonna get here?"

"Fifteen minutes!"

"Make it five!" Shiro commanded before he noticed something flying towards his men, "Down!" Ducking in time, they were able to avoid a particle beam the soared over their position and exploded in the distance.

"What...is that..." Rossiu breathed as his courage decreased upon seeing the large new arrival.

"A Man-Bear-Pig Gunman riding a Giant armored Wolf-Shark with Particle Laser Beams attached to it's head?" Kamina asked in utter disbelief as if the enemy he was facing was too stupid to really exist, "BRING IT ON!"

* * *

**Back to the Rangers**

"Right..." Van just shook his head while Simon whistled. Walking through the pad, they eventually did come across livable spots where repairs and decorations had started. Amongst them, was a bench filled with several framed pictures.

"Guess this is Bit's zoids team." Roger noted as he pointed out the picture showing Bit, Leena, Bit's teammate Brad, an absent-mind looking scientist playing with a toy liger and two younger kids, one was getting his head rubbed by Bit while the other was slapping his face after turning back to the professor.

"Whose this goofy guy?" Shinji asked after picking up one of the older pictures depicting what appeared to be a younger Bit posing with a slightly obscured man.

"Bit's..." Shinji said to himself while the team focused on the man in the picture. "Brother? Dad? Uncle?"

"Overalls? Bit grew up on a farm?" Simon asked in confusion since Bit seemed like someone who was raised around technology. "It's a pretty old picture too..."

"It's not a farm." Heero took the picture from Shinji and gave it back after a quick glance, "This was taken in a desert."

"Planet Zi is supposed to have a lot of those so..." Van thought out loud, "Come to think of it, where on Zi was Bit born?"

"Maybe we should just ask Bit." Roger suggested as he placed the picture back in place, "Whoever he is, I can see a resemblance..."

"The hair's a usual first give away." Everyone except Roger and Heero jumped when they realized that Bit was leaning on the wall next to them, "How do you like the place?"

"It needs work."

"Thanks." Bit replied to Van like it was a complement, "What are you still doing here anyway? Stuck around to help me move in?"

"Repairs." Heero answered and looked over at an un-repaired wall, "How come your house still looks like the abandoned HQ of a Canadian Cartel?"

"Because that's what it was." The other rangers stared wide-eyed at Bit while he just chuckled, "At least according to the guy who sold it to me, thanks for the recommendation Roger."

"No prob." Roger said while thinking back, "Honestly, it was just a man I had met on coffee break."

"Sounds like a nice guy." Heero noted as his eye was drawn to a White W painted on a nearby wall next to the words "Hail Z-". "What was his name?"

"Who cares! He gave me a sweet deal on this place." Bit yelled out with a skip in his step and motioned with his hand for the others to follow him, "By the way...before the girls show up...You guys wanna see something cool?"

* * *

******Angel Groove Light-rail Train En-route to D-41  
**

"Hey Kiyal! Hi Nia!"

"Sup Annie." The youngest of the Dai-Gurren Black sister's greeted with a salute before noticing the paneling on the other side of the train, "What happened to the other door?"

"A pink elephant ran through." Hitomi answered without looking away from her book.

"Wouldn't the train be more damaged then?"

"It was a joke, Nia. Anyway, I thought that you were out with Kamina and Simon?"

"Actually, I've got an interview with Kaiba." Kiyal explained as the moving car grew silent at the mention of an interview with Kaiba, "Mokuba." Breath's released on assurance that it wasn't the older Kaiba.

"I wanted to meet Simon and Shinja at Bit's house."

"You did it again." Hikari said with a smirk while Nia curiously wondered about what Hikari just said.

"Did what?" She surpressed a smirk when she realized her mistake, "Oh! I called Shinji the wrong name again..."

"To be honest, his name does sound similar to the word ninja." Dorothy lightly commented while Hikari shrugged unconciously.

"Kind of like how our cat is named Dodger?"

"Exactly." Dorothy answered her daughter who was playing with Price's kitten.

"Cruel...but Liger doesn't let me call him any pet names." Leena lamented while slightly shuddering at the memory of an earlier attempt.

"What is humorous about purposefully mixing up their names?"

"It's all in good fun Nia." Michael answered the young girl, "Kiki calls me Michelle once in a while." The car grew deathly quiet once again after the MS pilot spoke.

And was quickly filled with heavy laughter.

"Damn man! And I thought Soap was wrong!" Price cried out estatically after he lost balance and fell out of his seat much like many other passengers including the women and children.

"Ha...ha...which one of us pilots of mobile suit again?"

"Which one of us doesn't need one?"

"I can never win...can I?" Michael lamented while looking at the dial for the passage of the train, "Haven't we made it yet!"

"Hold on..." Leena spoke up as she looked out the window at a rail that the train had failed to transfer to, "Weren't we supposed to turn here?"

"Yes, we were..." Dorothy answered before she broke in an emergency glass case and pulled out a micro-com, "Operator, you seem to have missed our stop." Only static came from the other side as the passengers slowly felt that something was wrong with this train.

"No response?" Hitomi asked as the guards starting reaching for their guns and Price tossed a pistol to Noriko.

"Silence." Dorothy answered as the train began to slow down, "Detecting an abnormal electrical discharge from the front car."

"Not just there...it's the whole front of the-" Michael was cut off when the train abruptly stopped again and all lights went out, "Everyone alright?"

"We won't be for long!" Price cried as the entire compartment began to shake, "Andrei! Open the door!"

"Understood!" The Former FSO agent answered as he went to the door and pulled it open. But was thrown back by an electric charge that scorched the front of his jacket, "Damn it! That always happens!"

"The train's turning into a horse..." Michael commented with mock calmness as outside, the entire compartment was being lifted off the tracks by the object that they were connected to. Whatever it was, it was most definately not a train.

But how did it get there without the passenger's notice?

"What bloody train?" Price asked, "Yuri! Bust open a window!"

"Right comrade!" Yuri answered as he bashed his elbow through a window, but screamed when the fragments reformed and trapped him in the window by cutting into his elbow, "No good!"

"Are the windows break proof?"

"No...whatever that thing is keeps repairing them." Kiyal answered while Price and Dorothy managed to pull Yuri out while the window was completely repaired, "I don't know how, but once we became connected, this place became a prison."

"Oh no..."

"What do you mean oh no!" A businessman next to Michael frantically barked at the oddly calm Nia, "We're trapped in here and it's gonna eat us for snacks! And all you can say is OH NO?"

"Lower your voice." Dorothy warned, "You're scaring the little girl."

"Scaring the little girl?" The MS pilot asked before he sarcastically laughed, "SCARING THE LITTLE GIRL! Lady-" The man was cut off when Noriko kicked him in the back of his neck and elbowed him in the stomach.

"Thanks Noriko." Nia said as the man slumped to the ground and the train rocked a little more.

"No prob. Call for back-up sir?"

"Negative, we can't get a signal out..." Price replied as he sat back and started taking inventory, "Best thing us now is to pray for some improbable, unrealistic miracle to bail us out of this one."

"I think I see them now." Hitomi pointed out as the passengers went to their windows and looked out at a tall building in what looked like District 8.

"The Rangers!"

"Simon!"

"Shinji..."

"Daddy!"

"Roger...you louse..."

"Just in time Van."

"WHAT THE HELL TOOK SO LONG BIT!"

* * *

**District 8**

"Did you guys hear something?" Bit asked as the five of them stood on an abandoned building overlooking the light-rail track and noticed the large bulky mechanical humanoid with a horse head standing on the tracks with a compartment attached to it's shoulder.

How did anyone miss this guy?

"Like what?" Simon asked in confusion.

"Someone going to the dog house..." Shinji muttered before gulping at the red glare that the horse's eyes gave.

"Alas dear Bit, we knew thee well." Van gave Bit a pat on the shoulder before turning to where the anomaly stood, "Thanks for the tour through that expansive looking, high-speed, underground elevator system that leads out of your basement."

"No prob..." Bit muttered as the track collapsed under the horse-mech and caused it to land on the district floor and for a very irritated scream to sound through the air, "There it is again..."

"Probably just the wind." Roger stated as he fixed his suit and prepared to get to bring this horse to terms, "Let's go to work, gentlemen?"

"Right!"

"We need mecha power now!" Van cried while the others followed suit and lightning started striking the sky despite the fact that it was a clear day and initiated the following sequence:

Roger took out his watch and called upon his partner-in-crime, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shot out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

Shinji narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Evangelion! Animate!" he cried at the top of his wimpy voice as he leapt back to an opening hatch. Fortunately the latch widened to reveal E-Anima pulled up by a levy with Shinji landing in the open pilot's slot before the capsule slid into the active Evangelion.

Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero Jaeger!" At once, Liger Zero Jaeger jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne! Escalate!" A giant rock appeared out of nowhere and Escaflowne broke out of the giant rock and kneeled down behind Van.

Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon.

* * *

**Train Compartment attached to a giant horse, District 8**

"Somehow...watching them never gets old..." Hitomi noted as the other girls watched the assembled Rangers with admiration and blushed faces and the men were looking on in encouragement and inspired courage.

"Yes...yes...it looks really cool..." Leena noted before punching out her window and pulling out a blow horn, "NOW GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE AND SAVE ME!"

"How quickly her defiant spirit caves in-"

"SHUT IT" Leena yelled in Hitomi's ear and then throwing the horn at a window and breaking it, "The only reason you're so calm is because you know how this is gonna turn out!"

"Yep." Hitomi stated as the window repaired itself and the compartment shifted again, "We'll be safe pretty soon..."

"Of course we will." Nia agreed, "Simon's here to save us."

"Three..." Hitomi was the only one seated as the Rangers moved in on the horse labeled along it's shoulder pad as Kenzo. The horse stomped forward as Liger charged and leapt at the horse's head but was batted down with a swing from it's left arm. Liger landed and braced for when Escaflowne leapt off of it's back and stabbed Kenzo's upper thigh.

"Daddy's here too!" Annie celebrated as some passengers became nervous from the increasing shakes from the battle that had been joined. Specifically the one's caused by Big-O's punch to Kenzo's chest that sent it skidding back across the district before it opened up it's arms to reveal two large cannons that fired a red and blue beam which was safely deflected by E-Anima's AT field and diverted into different directions. One of which froze the ground that the red beam flew over and the other burnt everything instead.

"Cleaver." Leena complemented as Eva through it's glaive into Kenzo's torso before it fired both beams into the ground and created a thick cloud of dust that obscured a clear view of the upright horse mecha.

"Is it alright if I doubt whether or not they know we're here?" A nervous Michael brought up as Kenzo was knocked off balance, courtesy of Lagann emerging from out of the ground and piercing it's foot at the same time that Big-O's Arm-cannon fired a round of bullets that seared into it's lower right torso.

"Two..." Somehow, Hitomi had braced herself to keep from flying from her seat while everyone else was knocked into the car's wall, "That one was kind of close..."

"Roger's aim was off." Dorothy stated while a drop of sweat formed on most faces, "Otherwise, that side of our car would've been struck."

"They don't know..." One passenger fearfully realized as Escaflowne slashed through the front of Kenzo's chest before a high pressured burst of air shot through the cut and separated the mecha's right shoulder from it's body.

And the train compartment along with it.

"One!" Hitomi shouted as the train flew through the air before it was caught in the jaws of Liger and carefully set on top of a dublex roof. The zoid roared before it rejoined the battle, "A bit earlier than I thought, but no worries."

"Is everyone alright?" The pilot of the nearby Lagann asked over the train's comm.

"I'M GONNA KILL BIT FOR THAT!" Leena shouted back as Price blinked while trying to comprehend how the rangers contacted a disconnected and de-powered train car.

"What? For saving our lives?"

"FOR TAKING SO DAMN LONG!"

"So that's what he was talking about." Simon said to himself before replying, "Glad to hear you're all safe. Is any DF member aboard, Nia?"

"Hikari's roommate, Kiyal, and a few others."

"The girl who scared the crap out of him." Noriko laughed as Hikari's eyes slightly narrowed, "Could you guys get everyone to safety?"

"Hai!" Noriko acknowledged as Lagann ran back into the fray in time to avoid a compacted missile that hit the spot where it used to be standing, "You heard the majors, let's go!"

"Like the rookie said! Move!" Price repeated and the passenger's promptly tore open the doors or slipped out of the open windows to freedom outside.

"Just like I said and I didn't even look into the future..." Hitomi calmly stated as everyone started to abandon the car before the battle came back towards their direction.

"How did you-"

"As a princess and future queen, you've gotta know ahead of time on how to use your strength." Leena snorted with rolled eyes as she helped a knocked out train attendant get on his feet.

"Fascinating conclusion." Dorothy dryly noted before noticing that her own daughter was sitting down next to the repair paneling, "Annie...come on..."

"The kitten was scared mommy..." Annie told her mom as she ran over with a kitten in her arms.

"Nothing wrong with that..." Price assured the little girl as the passengers were helped out of the more-than-totaled car, "I was honestly more confused about who to be scared of."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Situation report." Mokuba asked as he entered the Command Bridge and sat in his brother's chair. Since Seto was busy with something, Mokuba took command with enthusiasm.

"Not much to say right now." Roger answered over the comm, "Giant...Horse Robot that can transform into a train and fires a freezing beam generated by freezers and air-conditioners and a heat ray made up of microwaves. Questions?"

"This sounds dumb."

"Then by all means, let's switch spots and you can see for yourself kid." Bit replied before Liger leapt over a heat ray that melted down an entire building along with the one behind it.

"No need for an attitude." A deflated Mokuba said, "I was hoping that this would be something worth interrupting my eureka moment with Leeron."

"Leeron?"

"We were just working with that Zord's head." The Dai-Gurren Brigade Head Technician explained excitedly, "And I learned that little Mokuba here has a crush."

"What!" Suddenly the battle on the view screen was utterly insignificant compared to the potential love life of Kaiba's younger brother.

"Sweet...sweet revenge..." A bridge bunny whispered before she and several technicians bombarded the face-palming Kaiba with cruel questions, "Is it your precious Tsubaru?"

"That girl who's coming in for an interview?"

"Have you gotten to first base?"

"Is it a hooker you bought? That your brother bought?"

"A friend from before you were orphaned? Adopted? Both?"

"I bet it's an online date who dresses like a female Black Luster-"

"One more word and you'll all be playing Death-T." The room grew quiet enough to hear a cricket chirp before the command staff turned around and went back to work, "Wrap it up Rangers!"

"Mokuba, threats and cruelty are the staple of those on the path to injustice-"

"Shut up Optimus!"

* * *

**District 8  
**

"Got it Mokuba." Roger acknowledged, "Rangers! Action!"

"I thought that's what we've been doing?" Simon pointed out as Escaflowne and Eva managed to cut off one of it's arms before the other fired a red beam that pushed them back and created a frost on Eva's AT field.

"Wonder how much a shield Liger would cost?" Bit asked himself as Liger bit into Kenzo's face and used it's weight to pull it down and allow Big O to slam it's fist into it's head as a piston punched into it's socket and blew apart it's head.

"Hold on...it's regenerating!" Roger cried out as several electric tendrils reached out from it's chest and wrapped around Big-O, Liger, Eva and Escaflowne and threw them aside as it's damage was completely repaired.

"And?" Simon asked as Lagann delivered a punch to the horse's reformed face and sent it crashing onto it's back, "Recover from this!"

"Ask and you shall receive." Bit stated before Liger's claws began to glow and it leapt down on the downed foe, "Claw to the Face!" Liger swiped both claws across Kenzo's face as it fired it's cannons to try and catch the zoid and narrowly missed. Leaving it open to Escaflowne's slash which destroyed the two cannons.

"It appears to be able to recover from injury." Roger noted as Kenzo's arms reformed and it created an electric field that threw off Liger and Escaflowne, "Keep it on the ropes and try to exhaust it's energy!" Big-O fired a pair of chains from it's forearm that wrapped around the horse's neck and pulled to relieve the mecha of it's head.

If only temporarily.

"Impact!" Simon declared as Lagann formed into a drill and slammed into the mecha's torso and severed the machine into two halves, "This doesn't even seem fair..."

"Such is the law of war." Van stated as Kenzo activated the large propeller on it's back and levitated it's self into the air. As it fired two beams from it's reformed cannons while it's lower half began to reform, Eva's barrier warded off the blue beam while the red beam was held off in the condensed air in front of Escaflowne, "In any case. He's regenerating much more slowly now-" That was when Eva condensed it's barrier around it's body and leapt into the air with it's drawn knives and managed to gain enough of a foothold to pull down the mecha.

By stabbing both knives into it's newly reformed crouch area.

"Shinji!" Van yelled in shocked horror as Eva pulled Kenzo to the ground and proceeded to rip open it's torso area and dug one of the knives into it's chest.

"What?" Shinji asked after Kenzo tried to get up but it's head was soon impaled into the ground by Eva's helix glaive, "I thought he was running out of energy?"

"That's just too far man!" Bit cried out.

"Not that it really matters..."

"Don't do it Simon..." Roger warned as a warning light went off in his head despite Eva's waning power.

"It's dead now anyway...so why should we be-" Eva ducked for cover when a white light fell from the heavens and impacted the horse's chest. Covering it in a white glow as the rangers regrouped.

"When will they learn?" Roger lamented as Kenzo EI-02's outlined form grew larger and larger, "We know what's coming rangers, so let's not waste time."

"Combine?"

"Combine." The team answered an excited Simon as an enlarged and heavily armored Kenzo stood up, only know it's body bore the features of a mechanical centaur and it was wielding a large halberd that smoked with fire.

"Sending request code to Command-"

"Screw that! I HAVE A DRILL!"

"Oh..." Shinji remembered, "In that case...Mecha Lord...FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

"Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." The computer voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings and the Guymelef formed itself onto Eva's form.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets. The boasters of Jaeger also formed into Mecha Lord's legs.

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Lord activated," The computer said as faded to reveal the reborn defender of the grove of angels. Triumphant in it's birth, Mecha Lord stood upon the scorched earth with the heated wind failing in it's presence.

* * *

**District 30 Warehouse**

"Wicked!" An overweight blond gamer shouted while he and his group watched the rebirth of Mecha Lord like it was a sport's game.

"Nice..." His more laid-back friend agreed, though he missed seeing that black megadeus in action.

"Is that the Mecha Lord that everyone has been talking about?"

"I believe it is." The silver haired observer said to his red haired friend in a white tight suit before addressing the warehouse owner, "I'm surprised that you haven't evacuated."

"I'm too old and too lazy to run." The old man answered while looking through a playboy magazine in plain public.

"Fair enough." Zechs stated as his overweight friend was walking over to his car, "No, I would not recommend intervening Coop."

"Ah! I wanna smash that horse!"

"Actually it looks like a centaur...horse..." Coop's friend noted.

"Still wanna smash it." Coop quietly stated.

"Smashing. The very thing that will get you listed as a vigilante." The red-head snarked, "And with everything else that's appeared here, they won't be afraid of a giant robot from the future!"

"Did you say that out loud, Kiva?"

"I did, Jamie..."

"Maybe next time," Coop shrugged, "Who wants a burger?"

"And you think anyone will be sane enough to stay open?"

"Hell yeah." Coop answered his friend with a devilish smirk. Believe it or not, Coop did find a restaurant that's open 24/7 through heaven and hell.

"Maybe I should have the operation called off..." Zechs slowly noted to himself as he noticed the calm, unspoken strength that eminated from Mecha Lord, "Anabel strongly underestimates this city."

* * *

**Back to the action!**

"How polite of it to wait for us." Roger stated as Mecha Lord confronted the glaring centaur that brushed one of it's hooves into the ground, "Mecha Lord...Action!" As the Kenzo Centaur charged at it's foe, Mecha Lord did not move and braced it's feet into the ground.

The Centaur threw down it's halberd only to have it blocked broken by Mecha Lord's arms. Mecha Lord swiftly drew it's sword and slashed across the centaur's front, leaving a large gash in it's torso before a compression of air launched out and lauched the centaur back across the district.

Seemingly infuriated, the centaur rose onto it's hooves and charged two orbs in it's hands.

"AT Field...ARCANUM!" Mecha Lord threw out it's left arm as the Centaur broke down the orbs and fired a pair of beams at Mecha Lord that impacted onto it's barrier. Instead of diverting, the beams were conjoined together and compacted into a drill shaped bullet that levitated in front of Mecha Lord.

"Piston...DRILLL CLAAAWWW!" Mecha Lord punched out with it's right arm, forming a green drill with a cylinder on it's base and various claw-appendages along it's form that rocket it out while the bullet spiraled around it to form an even bigger energy drill of intersecting red, blue and green energies.

"TRIII...DRILLL...PENETRATOR!" Simon declared as the attack impacted the barrier that the centaur had erected but kept grinding against it, "Come on...just a little more...Score!" The team cheered as their attack spiraled through Kenzo's face and rocketed on to the thankfully abandoned district train station and exploded. Meanwhile, Kenzo's head reformed within a few seconds of sustaining it's damage.

"Kiss it again!" Mecha Lord promptly punched Kenzo in it's mouth before stabbing into it's chest as it fired two beams that were diverted into non-lethal directions such as the visible tracks of the train-system or the District's power plant.

Again, non-lethal.

"So much for wearing out it's power..." Roger dryly noted as the Centaur staggered to stand, apparently that stab had done wonders to it's power core, "Wrap it up guys...we've already trashed this place enough..."

"Right!" Mecha Lord brought up it's sword and summoned energy to it that shifted it into a helix shaped lance with a drill at the end of it and gripped the lance with both arms as it started to seemingly power up. Mecha Lord's drill grew larger and it charged forward as it shot out both pistons again...

"FINISHING MOVE! DRAGON THUNDER STRIKE LASER DRIILLLLLLLL LANNNNCCCCCCEEEEERRRRRRR!" Simon called out as Mecha Lord thrust forth, empowered by the spirit of it's pilots in union with their mecha and slammed it's attack through the chest of the centaur. Entering there, the team roared as their assault tore through the centaur's body as they landed behind it with it's core gripped in Mecha Lord's open mouth.

Mecha Lord bit down on the core and roared in triumph as the centaur was engulfed in a powerful explosion that the mecha didn't bother turning around to look upon.

* * *

**District 50 Entry-Zone  
**

"There go our boys..." Hitomi said with a smile while she and the others overlooked the spectacle of explosions that encompassed the district that they had just left.

"I thought that they were men?" Nia asked in confusion.

"It can go either way at this point Nia..."

"So Shinji is your man, Miss Horaki?"

"Yes he-" Realizing the trap that Leena just threw her into, Hikari's face reddened, "Ah...I mean..."

"We heard the confession, don't you dare try to deny it." Hitomi calmly said while Hikari dreaded what was coming.

"You did let him sleep in our apartment." Noriko brought up, "I saw you guys cuddle...I thought I heard you say his name in your sleep."

"I'm a little girl and I can see that you really like him!"

"You dare lie to a child?"

"That...that wasn't..." Hikari's face reddened more and more when she conceded that Dorothy had her beat, "You're not really gonna do this in the middle of a combat zone, right?"

"But we're not in combat." Noriko pointed out while motioning to the explosions in the distance, "So yes."

"Don't you guys have something better do?"

"Not right now." Leena asked until she realized that someone wasn't joining in, "Nia?"

"Oh no..." Nia said after she spotted a young girl playing a black guitar, "Don't tell me..."

"Trust me...the feeling's mutual..." The black haired girl replied as she sat down next to the quiet Nia, "Apple tea?"

"What's wrong Nia?" Hitomi asked as the silent Nia accepted the drink and gulped down the whole bottle without stopping before smashing it on the floor, "And I'll leave you alone now."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Why..." Mokuba's head was currently slammed against his desk. Damage to the District was expected, but thanks to the Rangers, the entire southern portion of the light-rail system was just trashed. "And where is Seto?"

"Oh so now everyone asks where I am so that I can clean up your mess." The Kaiba Corp President said as he marched into the command bridge, "Despite knowing that I make you clean up my messes, so what makes you think that I'll help with your's?"

"Because you own the city?"

"You have the money to do so?"

"Screw the money, I have rules!" Kaiba declared to the bridge bunnies before noticing a beheaded mechanical horse on the viewscreen, "Now why is there a headless horse on the view screen?"

"It attacked the city...so I had the rangers kill it?" Mokuba answered with his face still slammed into his desk.

"And where the hell is the Defense Force?"

"You deployed them on that mission with Kamina-"

"You're telling me that I actually authorized them to go on a hit-and-run mission to liberate a mine composed of orphan children and bring them to my city? Who do you think I am? A charitable doormat who'll throw away millions just save a bunch of hopeless, innocent brats-"

"Sir!" A messenger ran into the bridge and breathed before reporting to Kaiba, "Confirmation from Commander Armada, they're enroute with more "precious cargo" than expected."

"K."

"Wait! You're going to let them in?" One of Kaiba's financial advisers asked in disbelieving astonishment, "But it'll cost millions to provide housing for that many homeless people!"

"They're not people, they're children." Seto said to the adviser who he had almost forgotten about hiring, "It's always cheap to get housing for kids, because they don't know the difference between candy and crap."

"It's still going to cost a lot of money-"

"Screw the money I have rules!"

"You sure that you don't wanna try that again?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

* * *

**Ruins of District 8**

"Isn't this a mess?" Bit asked after the Rangers had disassembled back into their respective mecha and overlooked the inside of the wrecked core, "Poor guy...probably didn't even know what happened."

"Probably for the best." Heero commented before the group jumped in surprise that he was there.

"Where the hell were you?"

"Standing by if you needed my assistance." Heero answered Van, "And you didn't."

"Touche." Roger replied as he saw a faint glow from the metal of the core, "What is this metal?"

"Zonder metal." Bit answered, "It's a bio-coded material that can bond with life forms."

"Really?" Shinji thought intimidated, it was hard enough to "bond" on Eva, "How come it's not affecting you?"

"Most of it's power was used up during the fight, so it's pretty harmless." Bit answered, "Even then, I wouldn't touch it without a glove."

"This little rock caused all of that trouble." Shinji said while looking around the devastated District, "I'm sure Mokuba would love to analyze it...the kid's to curious for his own good."

"Is that wise?"

"Maybe not." Bit said in agreement to an unmoved Heero, "But it'll be a good trade for the damage that Kaiba's gonna charge us for."

"In any case, we probably shouldn't leave it in public." Roger stated before he noticed a missing member of their crew, "Where's Simon?"

"He's over there..." Bit answered as Van went quiet for a minute, "Glaring down a kid standing on a bridge..."

"Is the kid wearing a blue sweater?"

"Yeah..." Bit worriedly observed an oddly thoughtful Van who looked like he was remembering something important.

"Holding a red guitar."

"Looks like it." Roger replied as Van exhaled.

"Is the wind picking up around them?"

"Think so." Shinji observed before Van nodded calmly.

"I think we should leave."

"Agreed." Heero stated as before the Rangers scrambled to their mecha for a reason that they didn't understand.

But was about to become very clear.

* * *

**Meanwhile...a few feet away...**

"You!" The boy with the blue sweater called out before he jumped down from the bridge and landed in front of Simon.

"You..." Simon said back to the boy with a double-head guitar slung on his shoulders as he fixed his goggles onto his epically determined face, "You're gonna pay for last time..."

"I'm still pissed at you for the first time." The boy shot back as Simon grabbed his drill core and gripped it in his hand.

"Lagann!"

"Kanti!"

Before any fists were thrown, Two red mecha threw up the ground that they landed on as their pilots remained unmoved by the force of their simueltaneous arrival. The same force that demolished the bridge and caused a nearby building to collapse.

The glare of the two boys was firmly fixed on one another with no care for petty trivialities like reality or physics. Sheer hatred, anger and resentment beamed out of their eyes and clashed within the air between them, causing it to turn into a heated dust that even roaches could not survive.

In short, at the end of their stand-off would not end with two on their feet.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Cliches...whether cool or ridiculous, you always find some sort of excitement from watching them unfold. Either it's because the cliche is well-set up and portrayed or because you can see it a mile away and it's glorious to watch the whole thing unfold even if it's corny as hell.**

**One cliche that I've always loved is: The Rival.**

**Whatever the reason or rhyme, this is the guy who's always going to oppose you at every step of the way and you can definitely count on facing this guy on opposite ends of the field.**

**But the reason I love it is because it can come in different flavors.**

**Sometimes the rival is just someone who you like to compete with; Maybe it's the Lancer and you bounce off of each other for mutual benefit; Most often, it's just someone whose similar but different from the protagonist whose always out to get them. Maybe the protagonist killed their father unknowingly, maybe they caused a dramatic problem with their self-esteem, or maybe they're just jerks and you're the guy that they want to mess with the most.**

**Crossing into evil territory, the big bad can also be the rival or Arch-rival. A shadow archetype who opposes the protagonist on more than multiple levels, someone who pushes the hero to their limit until they either rise or break. Examples: The Joker for Batman; Lex Luthor for Superman; Venom for Spiderman; Cell for Gohan; LordGenome for Simon or Viral for Kamina; Blackbeard for Luffy; Gendo or Asuka for Shinji and so on.**

**But whatever the case, when the hero meets their rival, don't be surprised when Gary Oak's theme starts to play in the background. And don't be surprised when you've just gotten through Mt. Moon, only to find him waiting to challenge you to a battle after exit out of hell.**

**Another one would have to be: Teasing the love interest.**

**It's corny and borderline mean, but it's somewhat emulative of real life. When you have a friend whose reluctant about their romantic feelings, you tease and poke fun at them for good fun.**

**Of course, this can be twisted into something malicious, especially if the bully or big bad finds out. But when done in good company, it's strictly to help the character get over their reluctance and accept their feelings for the hero.  
**

**This can also be turned into fuel for hilarity. Especially when the interest in mind goes through huge lengths to deny the factual proof or the teasing takes place during a very inappropriate situation. Like in the 2nd Pokemon movie, they're in the middle of a world-threatening storm and someone pokes fun at Misty's apparent jealousy and she's denying having feelings for Ash while the world might be ending and two legendary pokemon are flying around freezing, electricuting or melting islands.**

**Hell, even after the interests get together the teasing doesn't even stop sometimes!  
**


	15. Round the Corner Zero

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Good...you survived..." Mokuba stated when chains pulled up a horribly disheartened and broken beastman with a wolf's head and the legs of a zebra, "Ready to talk yet?"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW!" The beastman cried out in panic, "I'M JUST A SOLDIER! I JUST FOLLOW-"

"Finish that sentence and I put you back in." The poor puppy went quiet at Mokuba's threat, "Last time, you told me that you were Genome's spy into Nerv? Tell about the souls inside of the evas cores."

"Okay..." The dog beastman slowly muttered, "All Eva's possess the souls of mothers inside of them...allowing the pilots to gain an instinctual bond with the evas..."

"I've figured that out. Who are the souls?"

"I don't know." Mokuba's finger wavered over the button that would lower the beastman back into the cage, "I SWEAR! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!"

"He isn't lying child..." Leeron agreed as he noticed Mokuba shake uneasily, "Are you alright?"

"I'm hanging over-"

"Not you, Mokuba."

"So there wasn't another way..." Mokuba said to himself, "Fine. Enjoy Death-T for a few more weeks."

"NO!" The beastman screamed as he was lowered back into his cage, "PLEASE! I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT UNITS ONE AND TWO!"

"What about them?"

"Their...souls...disallow...for anyone else..." The beastman managed in a dazed panic after Mokuba halted the the process, "The...souls...of...those...evas...will...only allow..."

"I know." Mokuba finished, dis-patient with being told things that he already knew, "Only Children born after the Impact can-"

"NO! They...Will...Only...Allow...Their...Own...Children...To...Pilot..."

"Dump him." Mokuba turned and left the dimly lit chamber without another word, "What a load of crap."

"He might've had a point." Leeron brought up as the poor beastman was lowered back into his previous level of Death-T where he would have to solve an easily solvable but horribly complicated and elaborate puzzle in order to turn off the endless showing of the Phantom Menace.

In 3D.

"Doubt it."

"How come?"

"Because during the Cyclopsis sortie-" Mokuba stopped as if a thought had just hit him. The same thought that Leeron had happened upon for some time now.

"Does it sound like crap now?" Leeron asked the young boy who was still stunned from what he might have realized, "In any case, what does this have to do with ANIMUS?"

* * *

**District 8 Ruins**

Their feet planted in the dirt, two girls engaged in an intense game of tug o' war while their boys clashed in the distance.

On one end was a black haired girl pulling on her black guitar while the other was a white haired exile whose locket was wrapped around the guitar as she pulled.

Managing to pull the guitar out of the locket's grasp, Eri jumped at Nia as the princess caught her locket. At the same time that Eri swung down her instrument, Nia swung up her locket and forces behind them clashed as they were trapped in the same situation as before.

Elsewhere, Kanti deflected one of Lagann's drills and kicked the gunman into the air just as a white lance flew down from the heaven's. To Lagann's shocked expression, the red robot grabbed the lance out of it's projectory and threw it away as if it were useless. The lance flew out into the west as Kanti bounded into the air and formed into a phallic gun that fired it's load towards the airborne gunman at the same time that Lagann's canopy opened and a giant glowing drill jumped down to meet the shot.

"Had enough?..." Nia asked with a smile, unfazed by the explosion that occurred in the distance from Simon's fight.

"Yeah..." Eri conceded they heard to two bodies fall to the ground, "Besides...so have they." She motioned towards where Lagann and Kanti had landed battered and steaming as their pilots lied entwined into each other.

"Are you alright Simon?" Nia asked as she ran over to her digger and pulled him out from on top of Naota.

"Hey Naota..." Eri teasingly greeted before she pat the dazed boy on the head and walked over to Kanti dragging Naota by his leg, "What happened?"

"What is he saying?"

"He said that they crashed into each other!" Eri burst out laughing to where she let Naota hit his head on the ground as Kanti shook his head, "Did you throw him or did he jump?"

"Nia..." Nia heard a very dazed Simon call out, "The gnomes won't stop jumping and it looks like their heads are on fire..."

"Is that Haruko riding a pink elephant while wearing a bunny suit?..." Naota said as Eri stopped laughing and crouched down to where her face was over Naota's.

"Wanna know what I'm wearing?" She whispered, causing the boy's face to turn red and for him to pass out. A stream of blood ran out of his nose as Eri stood back up.

"Why did you do that?"

"Make sure that he didn't break his head." Eri replied, "He's an idiot and a kid, but...he's my kid."

"And Simon is my...digger."

"So has he plowed a-" Eri slapped her hand over her mouth while surpressing a laugh. Nia could tell that it was something dirty so it was probably for the best, "Nevermind, I'm sleepy...let's go Kanti."

"Lagann? Can you take us home?" The red lagann opened it's hatch as Kanti slung Naota onto it's shoulder and Eri jumped onto the robot's back, "How come they're in good shape and Simon isn't?"

"They didn't work as hard..." Eri answered, "Or as stupidly..."

* * *

**Undisclosed Location that didn't used to be Beastman territory**

"Good to hear from you Commander."

"Likewise." Shiro replied while sitting in his battered Ez-8, "We've got a lot of precious cargo and I have a wife whose gonna give me hell for being late."

"Is he talking about me?"

"Aina!" The DF Commander hit his head on the side of cockpit on hearing the voice of his wife, "Hi honey-"

"Hi honey." Aina said back, "Good to know that I'll see you back in one piece."

"Suprisingly..." Shiro muttered, this whole run was a big payoff, but when first going out he honestly beat himself over the head for following Kamina's lead.

"What?"

"Nothing." He assured his wife, "I'll see meet you at Command alright?"

"Alright." Shiro heard his wife kiss the phone on her end, "Love you."

"Love you too Aina..." Shiro said as he kissed his comm and switched it off before running out of the cockpit when he heard laughter, "Shut it!"

"Crap the commander's pissed!" Eleanor teasingly yelled only to get tackled and pulled into a noogie while the other members laughed. Even though the trip didn't get a Dai-Gunzan cool enough for Kamina to believe worth keeping, they did find this large all-terrain cargo barge that moved nicely and fit all of the their mobile suits and gunmen within while they were undergoing repairs.

"It was a nice run, but now it's time to kick back and relax!" The badass leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade cheered as he slung his sword around his neck and grabbed it in an epic pose, "Whose with me?"

"HOORAH!" Several a board all called out while their convoy moved through the desert.

"Thought so," Kamina saw a rather moody kid walk up beside him while he looked out into the distance, "How are the kids?"

"They're still pretty spooked, but some of them are warming up to a home on the surface." Rossiu said before he became downcast, "I just wish that we could've saved more of the adults..."

"We did what we could." Kamina assured the young man, "Dwelling on the past only sours the present."

"Alright-" Rossieu was unprepared for the epic slug that his face recieved, "What was that for?"

"To make sure the idea sinks in." Kamina said before he jumped down to where his beautiful vixen was scouting with the scope of her rifle, "What's up babe?"

"Kiyal and Kinon are getting worried..." Yoko reported without looking away, "Where's Kittan?"

"Who cares, he's probably out hitting on a babe whose actually a lesbian."

* * *

**Meanwhile...in a Hover Cargo in the Wasteland**

"So you like stars?" Kittan asked the Nerv Major while she sat in the controls of the Hover Cargo, "Cause I can be yours."

"Uh..." Maya wasn't quite sure how to be honest with this guy or maybe her jean skirt and short shirt didn't help, "If I told you that you weren't my type...would you be offended?"

"What type would that be cause I can evolve..." Kittan stated before pointed up his finger and a drill appeared over his forearm, "That's what people with drills do, they spiral up and beyond!"

"Uh...well..." As impressive as that was, Maya still needed to get her point across, "I like...big...chests..."

"Huh." Kittan nodded his head in understand and ripped off his shirt to reveal his **epically** manly chest, "LIKE THIS?"

"Uh...more...floppy..."

"Huh?" Now Maya had confused the poor man, "You like fat guys-"

"Leave the girl alone." Misato teased in a loose tube top and biker shorts that made Maya blush and most men in the room nosebleed, "How about a real woman stud?"

"Hmm..." An oblivious Kittan thought before sniffing Misato's face, "You smell like alcohol and penguins."

"What!" Misato cried out while her tracts of land bounced in outrage causing Epps to pass out from blood loss, "I haven't had a cold one for a whole month-"

"What about him?" Kittan asked pointing to the warm water penguin that finished off a pint of Old English bear and then crushed the can on it's head.

"Pen Pen..." Misato whimpered while the penguin walked off like it didn't just finish off it's 25th pint without effect, "I need some tea."

"Here you go." Kamille offered the Nerv Colonel a bottle of tea which she took and gulped down, "How's Toji?"

"Still asleep after the ass-kicking we gave those transmorpher robots."

"I think they're called decepticons, where did they come from?" Ao asked Kittan.

"I don't know, all I know is that we kicked they're asses."

"Nikopol said that decepticons don't attack in packs." Mamoru remembered, "They usually have an army somewhere."

"Hooray!" Misato cheered while laughing, "We need to get going then."

"How far is Angel Groove?"

"It's a few days north." Dr. Tauros answered Maya, "At least according to the tracking device that I put in my daughter's hair."

"Why do you have a tracking device in your daughter's hair?"

"So that I'll know every detail about where my daughter is and prepare accordingly."

"Does that mean you know when she and Bit are-"

"Like I said, to prepare accordingly." Vega just chuckled while everyone else on the bridge stood with mouths hung wide open at Dr. Tauros' "preparation".

"Is he..."

"You have no idea." Jamie said to Ao while holding a cold bag over his head, "Anyway, what were all of you doing out here?"

"Sounds like we're all looking for the same place." Vega said while pointing to the projected virtual map, "Angel Groove."

"Shouldn't it be Grove?"

"Kaiba was probably lazy on spelling." Kittan answered Mamoru, "Besides, Groove is a lot more inviting."

"Yeah...inviting..." Jamie sarcastically agreed, "So how did you end up in this group?"

"Ran into lion paw over there and then we ran into Kittan and then we ran into all of you." Ao answered as Jamie nodded, "Who knew that I'd end up here."

"By the way, why is your hair-"

"I got it from my mom alright!"

"Sorry...it just looks kind of...cool."

"Oh..." Ao said, apparently unused to complements about his hair, "Thanks."

* * *

**Blitz Pad, District 41**

"And there!" The cat-girl said to herself after placing the last vase over the fireplace, "Now doesn't this look better?"

"I don't know Merle..." Bit admitted while looking over the furnishings of his living room that was being used over a lounge hall, "It just seems...pretentious..."

"Lord Van...he doesn't like it..."

"Don't worry Merle." Van said to his young feline friend, "He doesn't have good taste in Fanelian etiquette or style."

"No, it just reminds me of Roger's place."

"Doesn't he live in his own building in the Skyline District?"

"Yeah...but height aside..." Bit exhaled with a chuckle, "I just can't keep from picturing him popping out and telling me that I'm defying a gentlemen rule."

"It is his home, so...his rules..."

"Be that as it may..." Leena entered wearing a very loose outfit that made Bit have a minor nose bleed, "It just feels refreshing to wear Leena clothes!"

"Lord Van..." Merle muttered, "She doesn't have pants on..."

"Of course she does. They're just really short."

"Longer than that time in Temps Town..."

"WHAT WAS THAT!" Leena yelled with a bright red face, "I WAS IN A MOOD! ALRIGHT?"

"What happened in Temps Town-"

"You don't wanna know," Bit suggested to the Fanelian King as Leena went to the kitchen to find her family's rusted kitchen knife.

"Now I do want want to know." Van asked before he recognized the mood drop from Bit's cold expression, "Or...not..."

"Stay here for a minute, I thought I heard a knock." Bit suggest with an unworried smile even though the king of Fanelia could see though the mask.

"Bit?"

"Leena, stay here."

"Alright." Bit stepped out of the living room and started for his front door. Every step closer felt as though he were stepping deeper into a dark pool, a pool that only the black night would excel in coldness. Bit opened the door and stepped outside.

"My, aren't you jumpy. Cloud." Bit saw him sitting on a bench, eating a hot dog as if nothing was wrong. "This is a deplorable loophole that you have discovered. Only in a city like this would such a feat be possible."

"You know what they say." Bit replied without moving his mouth, "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

"That doesn't change feces from being feces, even if it is molded into a crown." The stranger wordlessly said after taking a bite from his hot dog. Somehow, Bit was unnerved by the hot dog, "A hell made into heaven is still hell in truth."

"Who are you?"

"I am nobody." The stranger answered, "Merely a vassal unified and coronated to hold the likeness of a blue summer."

Bit's eyes widened when he realized what this man was. Blue summer didn't need to say anything more about his origins.

"Speechless?" Blue summer asked as he stood up, "You know who sent me then. They have watched this world for many years, far longer than you've probably given it thought."

"They?"

"My mother of course." Bit felt his hand move for the guns in his jacket as memories that were best left buried came to mind, "She and the Unifier are separate yet one at the same time. They complete each other after she was broken and left as a shell...pitifully holding on to life like a parasite."

"The look on your face says everything Cloud Stryfe." The man laughed as Bit's hands edged closer to the inside of his jacket, "Such fear and furious wrath...to think that it means nothing when I could kill every man, woman and child in this city with but the shadow of a thought."

"Where is she?"

"They are coming." The man said with his own words, a voice devoid of all emotion and remorse, "For a time, they considered sparing the wretched race of man. But soon, you shall witness, their immolation, their destruction, and their reunification in the center of a dead cosmos."

"The Cosmos of the Void." Blue Summers finished before wrapping together the remains of his hot dog and tossing it into a nearby trash can, "But that will be a long time from now and only if your world's overseer should fail in his objective."

"Overseer?" Bit asked as he reached for one of many deringer pistols, "What the hell are you talking about!"

"Bit!"

"Leena! I told you to-" Bit began to yell but when he turned back and saw that blue summers was now gone, "Where...where did he..."

"Bit..."

"It was the Jehovah's Witnesses." Bit explained to his now confused girlfriend, "They just wouldn't shut up about their Watchtower and-"

"Shessh...men..." She rolled her eyes and went inside, slamming the door behind her and as Bit had feared, locking him out.

"Come on! I had to put down the line somewhere!"

"The who?"

"Jehovah's Witnesses."

"Oh! I remember those guys!" Bit heard Van say, "They were really nice people, but I didn't understand what they were talking about..."

"Most people don't." Leena replied as Bit looked around for the herald of his worst nightmares, "And when do, they act as I just did."

* * *

**Viscount's Estate, Area 8 (Quebec)**

"Is your room to your liking my lady?"

"It's almost better than the room in my estate!" The baroness said to the servant while she lied on her queen sized bed within the guest room.

"Good. The Viscount however would like to speak with you in regards to the mannerisms of your companions..."

"Then where is he?"

"I can take it from here." A disciplined and older voice told the servant and she quickly left as a uniformed gentleman entered.

"Viscount Ozzel."

"Dispense with the pleasantries girl." The man said to the baroness, "By the simple act of arriving here, you and your assortment of misfits are making a mockery of the Britannian court!"

"I care because?" Getting a comb and straightening out her red hair, she yawned before going on, "Besides, we had a long flight."

"I noticed." The viscount stated, "The pathetic state of my charitably provided cargo hold speaks wonders to your ability to keep high-risk prisoners under lock and key."

"The guards that your craft provided weren't exactly...up to the task." The baroness teased mockingly, "In any case, if we run into him again then we'll just kill him and be done with it."

"If only you had done that on the onset instead of troubling me."

"What troubles could you have apart from the royal family's ire?" The viscount stiffened at the mention of that topic while the baroness threw on her jacket, "Lulu isn't very happy with your lack of attention to Princess Nunnally's rehabilitation."

"That doesn't...mean...that..." The viscount regathered himself as he grabbed the girl's arm, "The princess is recovering splendedly! He has no room to be ungrateful!"

"Maybe you could say that to him." The baroness suggested, "When I arrived, he wanted to speak with us."

"Then what has...never mind, follow me."

"K." The viscount released the girl and didn't look back as they walked through the halls to a communication post where they could contact the Black prince, "Maybe we should contact one of his knights first-"

"And waste my words on a half-breed?" Ozzel inquired as they reached a post, "Oh wait...you are a half-breed, aren't you?"

"Need I remind you of my power?"

"What power? You have no power in my province outside of your demon child." The viscount smirked at Sorhyu's growl and it grew into a smile when the viewscreen switched to the Black Prince's channel, "My prince...Elizabeth's Honor!"

"Mein Gott!"

"Baroness Sorhyu!" The Black Prince cried in surprise and barely surpressed panic as he threw a blanket over himself, "You seem to have caught me in a...rather..."

"Your shame is yours to cover my prince." Ozzel stated while covering his eyes as the young baroness looked away blushing, "I was merely following your command."

"Of course Ozzel." Lelouch replied as he pulled on some pants next to his bed and stood up to grab his portable viewscreen, "Which direction did you spot the prisoner going Baroness?"

"He went out westward, my lord." Sorhyu reported to the Black Prince, "If the American's don't find him, he'll probably drown in the ocean."

"Not so fast now." Lelouch said, "I have a contact in the city of Angel Groove who I will inquire of. I will have to relay his information to your for your future usage."

"Thank you Lulu-" Sorhyu winced under the swift and strong slap of the viscount but rather than recoil further, she stared daggers at the man as if insulted.

"You will address the holy prince by the appropriate title-"

"And you!" Ozzel went stiff under his prince's gaze, "Will learn to hold your tongue. Hard."

"Yes...my...lord..." At his lord's command, the viscount opened his mouth and violently grabbed his tongue with both hands.

"My apologies Asuka." Lelouch apologized, "I'll look the other way if you wish to give him a good thrashing. And put in another one for me as well even though...never mind."

"Lulu?"

"Nunnally is very excited to see you again. Or should I say...no...I'll let her show you for herself."

"Very well Lulu!" Asuka replied and then smirked when she turned to the viscount, "Does it hurt?"

"I'm sure that it does." Lelouch noted and waved his hand over his face, "Enough!" The viscount released his tongue and took in several desperate breaths as Asuka allowed herself to smirk.

"I beg forgiveness my prince..."

"I am glad to know that the princess will be in good company, Asuka." Lelouch complemented before his smile became what Asuka knew to be sinister, "Oh and father would like to speak with you Ozzel."

"Then I shall not keep him delayed."

"Hold on," Lelouch suggested as he looked to the side of his device, "What do you know! He's on your line as we speak."

"Excellent, by your leave my prince." Lelouch waved as the screen went blank and Ozzel snarled at the young baroness, "You see? Nothing to be worried about."

"Who says I was worried?"

"Mark my words, when we are through here I shall correct that tongue of yours." The viscount warned as the viewscreen began to convert to the Emperor's private channel, "After the emperor shows you your place, Half-Breed."

"Before or after you find a wig?" The viscount fumed for a brief second before the screen showed the emperor seated in his throne covered in the fur of puppies and was now wearing a casual coat that Asuka knew to have been made from baby seals.

"Baroness Sorhyu." Emperor Britannia greeted the young german before addressing the viscount, "Viscount Ozzel."

"My Emperor." The viscount bowed in respect, "Despite our momentary setback, the Skyhook will be operational within-" The viscount became still when ran his heart over his chest and began to rapidly breath in panic as he gripped his chest.

"You have failed me for the last time, Ozzel." The viscount gripped his chest more tightly as pain began to visibly strike him, "Baroness Sorhyu."

"My Emperor."

"My child, I would congratulate you on your success in Luxembourg, firstly." The emperor stated as Ozzel gripped his heart with both hands and struggled to stay standing, "You have proven a faithful and strong servant of Britannia. So I believe you competent enough for this task."

"What is your will, my lord?"

"You shall oversee the production of the Skyhook and ensure that it is completed by the end of two months, I need not remind you of what should happen if you fall behind schedule." The emperor paused briefly, motioning towards the viscount whose body was turning blue from the veins that showed on his body, "Furthermore, I have received intelligence that the Americans have begun amassing a building military presence in Alaska, Toronto and Nova Scotia. Whatever the reason for this action, you will keep Area 8 in a stage of readiness."

"You are in command now, Viscountess Sorhyu." Asuka dared not turn away when she heard Ozzel fall to the ground with a thud, "Do not fail me, my child."

"I won't let you down, my emperor."

"I'm sure that you won't." The emperor agreed as the view-screen switched off, leaving the newly ascended girl with a still corpse whose face was filled with blue veins from the lack of oxygen flow that killed him.

"Guess the emperor showed me my place, didn't he?" Asuka half-heartedly taunted the corpse, "It isn't as fun when they can't respond, throw him out back."

"Yes, my lady." A nearby guard stated as he and another guard picked up Ozzel's corpse and carried him out of the room.

"Someone's working their way up the food chain."

"Who said that I needed to work?" Asuka asked the now visible Dilandua, "Now what the hell is this Skyhook anyway?"

* * *

**Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean**

"The Storm's building sir!"

"Who cares!" The captain rebuked his first mate as their ship wavered through the stormy seas, "We're four days from port! Suck it up!"

"But one of the devils wasn't fed..." A crewmate fearfully reported, "It's getting testy and violent...it might even try to-"

"Shut up!" The captain cried, holding a spear at the man's throat, "Are you afraid of lizards born from that gojilla copy-cat in New York?"

"They were copied from the copy-cat's much more potent offspring and you know it!" The first mate yelled, coming between the captain and the crew member, "Need I also remind you that they have the real one's dna and the dna of that...sharptooth..."

"Sharptooth?" the crewman asked in confusion, "That sounds like a stupid codename-"

"EVEN WHEN FROZEN IN BAKKELITE IT IS A FORCE TO BE FEARED!" The first mate yelled, "What better name for that monstrosity would fit better than the definition of jaws powerful enough to rip through adamantium and shrug off a fall from the heavens like it had merely fallen out of it's bed?"

"Never mind..."

"THOUGHT SO!" The captain shouted and pointed his harpoon towards the bow, "THROUGH TO THE EYE!" So the fleet moved on through the storm, edging closer to it's eye in order pass through the storm more quickly.

Just then, a projectile of light burst forth from the east and struck one of the ships on the starboard flank.

"What was that?"

"Something hit one of the cargo vessels..." a crew member answered, "Some kind of spear of light..."

"It was probably nothing." Just as the first mate was about to find a drink, the entire crew froze when a burst of power destroyed the struck vessel. "Then again...that doesn't look like nothing..."

"THE DEVILS ARE LOOSE!" The captain cried out, "Don't let them get to the others or we're-" A beam of atomic fire tore through two more ships as the crew looked on. Then they heard a myriad of roars as two of the larger cargo ships were pulled into the wavering seas.

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" The first mate commanded through the comm.

"SCREW THAT!" The captain countermanded when he pushed aside the first mate, "RAMMING SPEED!"

"Into what?"

"LAND!" The captain answered as the two were nearly knocked off their feet by the accelerated speed of the vessel. Behind them, three others did likewise to keep up as a fourth was set ablaze and torn into two by the loosened cargo.

"We need more steam laddies!"

"I'm giving it all she's got captain!"

"THEN GIVE MOOORRREEE!" The captain commanded through the comm as the vessel sailed through the stormy seas like the wrath of hell and heaven were upon them. Behind them, the remaining ships of the cargo fleet moved in similar pace to keep from being left behind.

Finally, the storm calmed as the ships lost sight of their pursuit. Which meant that they're remaining and most potent cargo would not be disturbed.

"Nothing..." The captain observed through his scope while holding a spear that he had traded with his harpoon. "Where are they?"

"Maybe they've gone forth into the wild..."

"A happy thought that I shall gladly take." The captain said to the relieved first mate, "Besides, we need to save on fuel-" Just then, a missile burst out of the hull of the port-most ship causing it to explode while the rear-most ship was destroyed by the missile.

"SS Winhelm report!"

"THEY WERE UNDER US!" The captain of the last ship called through the comm before the crew watched Winhelm get levitated into the air, torn into different pieces and then crushed as if by a hammer. As the debris fell, the crew watched a great lizard rise out of the sea before them.

"Thou DAMNED BEAST!" The captain yelled at the roaring leviathan that rose out of the sea, "THUS. I GIVE UP. A SPEAR!" True to his words, a spear was magnificently thrown at the creature's face.

And magnificently bounced off of it's hide.

"Holy shit that did nothing." The first mate half-heartedly observed as the creature charged a blast of atomic energy and fired it into the vessel...

* * *

**District 25** **Hell's Kitchen**

"Shinji?"

"Oh..." Shinji turned back to Hikari who was wearing a simple light blue dress with frilled sleeves, "Sorry, I thought I heard a scream."

"Wonder from where..." Shinji followed his not-date's glance towards the kitchen area where poor cooks in training were being verbally tortured by their british boss.

"THIS SEAFOOD IS COLD YA DONKEY!" Chef Gordan Ramsey yelled at one college graduate as he threw the undone lobster leg into the man's face, "DO IT AGAIN!"

"It's just part of his job." Shinji assured Hikari while straightening out the collar of his button up shirt, "Get one thing wrong and you'll probably hurt someone."

"Yeah..." Hikari agreed, "That's how my sisters are...they notice when I don't cook as well."

"You're really the only cook in your family? What about your dad or Kodama?"

"Kodama doesn't have the patience for it and dad's usually gone at work. Someone has to feed the family so one day, I just started and the rest is history."

"How are they managing without you?"

"I showed Kodama how to do easy stuff." Hikari whistled humorously as she took a bite of their appetizers and grimaced along with Shinji, "And her shrimp is much better than this piece of..."

"Hold on." Shinji stated as he stood up and walked towards the restaurant's host with the appetizer plate, "Sir, could you tell the kitchen staff that this shrimp is over done?"

"Of course Monsieur." The French host replied with a curt bow as he made his way towards the kitchen area and Ramsey started to chew out another poor cook.

"The next one will be a lot better...Are you okay?"

"That shrimp gave me a really bad headache all of a sudden..." Hikari said while holding her hand on her head until she relaxed, "It's gone now."

"Hell miss." A cook with an unsettling smile greeted Hikari while Shinji just watched, "I am so sorry about about your food. Would you like a free refill?"

"Sure." Hikari replied as the cook took out a filled glass, "Oh my...you remembered my drink."

"Isn't that something that the headwaiter does?"

"I am cook. I only help." The cook said to Shinji before turning back to Hikari, "I love your dress miss, you are really pretty."

"Uh..." A surprised and nervous Hikari didn't know how to respond, "Thanks..." Shinji took this opportunity to switch out the restaurant knife with something that Kittan had given him.

"Shall I give you happy ending?"

"What?" An uncomfortable Hikari said in surprise, "Happy ending?"

"Happy ending." The cook stated again, "Me love you long time-" Suddenly the cook stopped talking when a very well made piece of metal was sliced into his arm.

"You should go." Shinji warned the cook, ignoring the knives that had been stabbed into the cook's arm as the man shuddered in fear in pain. Shinji released his grip on the restaurant knife, took out his out and let the cook run back to the kitchen before turning to Hikari with concern, "Are you okay?"

"This drink came just in time." A frightened Hikari replied as she gulped down her drink.

"You sure that you should've taken that in one gulp?"

"It's pineapple-orange juice, what's so bad about-" The Class Representative suddenly seized up and grabbed her head as Shinji came to her side, "Why is the headache back?"

* * *

**Meanwhile a few feet away...**

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU FUCKING BEEN!" Chef Ramsey yelled at the cook who came back sobbing and bleeding all over the food like got stung by a bee, "WHY WERE YOU OUT THERE! THE BREAD IS NOT COOKED YET! WE HAVE 56 ORDERS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"That little jap stabbed me-"

"THEN YOU FUCKING DESERVED IT!" Ramsey barked at the bleeding cook, "That Jap is the only reason why I'm still running a restaurant in this city! And you have the nerve to hit on his girlfriend! A fourteen year old!"

"She's old enough to crawl-"

"You're disgusting." Ramsey shook his head and swiped the cook's hat off of his head and used it as a glove as he violently ripped out the knife in his arm and threw it into the trash without getting any blood on the kitchen utensils, "Take off your jacket and GET OUT!"

"I need to take a wizz..." The cook wimpered in shame and pain as he walked out through the kitchen's backdoor.

"YOU DONKEY!" Realizing the mess that the donkey had made, Ramsey decided to walk out and personally apologize to the young defender of this city and his lovely not-date, "I apologize..."

"No problem chef." Shinji assured the older man while he checked on his apparently naucious date, "You alright Hikari?"

"I..." The young heavily lifted her hand to her head like it was being weighed down by bricks, "I don't feel...too..."

"Hikari!" Shinji cried out as he grabbed the off balance Hikari, "Wait...that drink..."

"Oh no..." Ramsey took the cup that Hikari had and tasted the little that remained, "HE DRUGGED HER! WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!"

"Could you bring him back here so that I can have a piece?"

"Fine son." Ramsey agreed as he stepped past his kitchen and ordered, "AND NONE YOU BETTER BURN ANYTHING WHILE I'M GONE!"

"Yes Chef!" Just then, one of the stoves became ablaze with fire while Ramsey felt every nerve in his being give out in patience.

"WHAT DID I SAY?"

"Sorry Chef!" One of the cooks apologized as they took out a fire extinguisher and put out the fire, but also ruined the spaghetti and noodles that were just getting done.

"Might as well close up when I get back..." Ramsey breathed as he went out back to find that donkey, "THAT DONKEY! WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE!"

"Chef..."

"IS THAT A SPEAR?" Ramsey asked disbelieving that the bastard was still alive after having a spear lodged through his spine, "NOW YOU WANT TO TRACK BLOOD INTO MY KITCHEN? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? GO TO A HOSPITAL AND GET HELP!"

Just then, the spear starting to glow as the chef saw a pair of guns materialize in his hands. At that moment, Ramsey ran into the restaurant brandishing a shotgun.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." He said to the strangely unconcerned customers, "The Kitchen is now closed and I recommend all of you to find shelter and call the city defense force. Thank you and meals are on the house tonight."

"Generous."

"But most of the DF is out of town."

"Then go to your local church and make peace with God."

"I don't believe in God."

"Guess you're SOL, son." Ramsey said as he cocked his shotgun went to a nearby window and opened fire on what was outside, "YA DONKEY!"

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Now what?"

"It's on screen sir."

"Really?" Seto asked as the anomaly of District 25 came onto screen, "A giant robot wearing a cowboy hat and trench coat?"

"That's what it looks like Seto-"

"Shut up Mokuba." Seto said to his little brother, "Who was that, Simon?"

"No, that was another anomaly fighting the first anomaly." One of the bridge bunnies reported, "And causing more collatoral damage in the process."

"A giant robot?" Seto asked, "Why does it have a car for a head?"

"Chicks dig nice rides." Mokuba answered, "They also dig giant robots so what do ya get when ya put them together?"

"A recipe for crap?"

"I beg to differ."

* * *

**District 25**

Shinji rubbed his head as he stood up and looked around.

The kitchen was damaged even though no one was apparently harmed, but that wasn't what caught his attention. The young ranger looked up and saw a giant figure robed in a trench coat with a wide brimmed cowboy hat on it's head.

"Aniki!" Simon with his head bandaged called out as he came to the scene and helped the dazzed Shinji to his feet, "What is that thing?"

"What the hell is that thing doing here?" Another newcomer cried out as the giant figure was tackle by a large blue robot that Shinji thought had a red car on top of it, "You again!"

"You!"

"Hey Naota! You gonna help me out or what?" The blue robot called out as Naota pointed to the growling digger, "So...smash?"

"Not now Coop!" Naota yelled at the blue robot's pilot as he pulled out a guitar while Simon grabbed his drill from his neck.

"Simon!" Shinji called out while pointing at the giant figure, "It has Hikari!"

"So smash and then save the girl?"

"What about save the girl and then smash?" Shinji asked the pilot of the blue robot as it was shot across town.

"Or how about you save the girl and I smash it?"

"Oh the hell with it!" Shinji cried out and turned to his fellow ranger, "Simon!"

"Got it Aniki!" Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon.

Shinji narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Evangelion! Animate!" he cried at the top of his furious voice as he leapt back to an opening hatch. Fortunately the latch widened to reveal E-Anima pulled up by a levy with Shinji landing in the open pilot's slot before the capsule slid into the active Evangelion.

"What's the plan?" "And you guys should get out of here!"

"Why?" Naota asked unsurprised at the two mecha that stood to face off against the robed figure whose cloak had the kanji for Brittle Bullet on it's hem.

"Nah." The pilot of the blue robot, Coop from the sound of it called out, "I'm cool." The Brittle Bullet cocked it's rifle and fired towards Eva who was pushed back from the impact of the attack though his AT field remained strong. Meanwhile, Lagann charged towards the robot and created one of it's arms into a drill which it shot at the robot. At this, the robot pulled out a third arm with a shotgun and fired at the incoming drill to shatter it and for the second shot to hit Lagann.

Lagann was caught by Megas who ran towards Brittle Bullet and somehow forced it to turn into a large drill which it fired out of a large cannon that formed out of it's arm. The spiral drill shot towards the robot and slammed through it's chest as Lagann jumped out of the drill's back and slammed into the back of the robot's head.

"How do ya like my ride?" Coop asked Shinji as Lagann started drilling through the robot's head, "Megas XLR."

"XLR?"

"Extra Large Robot." Coop's laid-back co-pilot asked while reading an indecent magazine while paying no attention to the situation, "Don't ask." The Brittle Bullet swiped it's luger onto his head and caught Lagann in the barrel aimed towards the charging Eva and fired. Simon cried out as Lagann was forcefully launching out towards Eva, shattering it's AT field and crushing into Eva's shoulder, knocking off it's arm and causing it to fly out into the street injuring several onlookers.

"You'll regret that." Naota growled after looking at his destroyed moped and helped a little girl get back to her grateful mother, "KANTI!" From across the city and out of the sky landed Naota's red robot. As it landed behind Naota, debris was launched into the air that Naota jumped up and batted at the brittle Bullet. Landing, the boy didn't flinch when a giant mouth opened up in the robot's chasis and nastily devoured him. The robot reformed and pulled a pair of glowing guitars out of it's visor and launched into the air towards the robot's head.

Meanwhile, Megas opened up it's arms to reveal various improbably placed missile launchers that all fired at Brittle Bullet. The large robot fired with it's guns to deflect each missile into the surrounding city, creating various destructive explosions as it fired at Megas with it's luger. Megas caught the giant oversized bullet in it's arm and tossed it up at the robot. Lagann jumped behind the bullet as Eva created an AT field in front of it and punched the bullet's bottom to cause it to spiral and reform into a large grey drill that the at field began to meld on top of.

"Just a little more-"

"No time!" As Simon watched, Kanti slammed both of the guitars into the bottom of the bullet drill, knocking back Lagann in the process and firing the bullet towards Brittle Bullet. Seeing the attack, Brittle Bullet aimed both guns at the incoming drill and fired. The orange barrier around the attack repelled the counter-assault and left the large robot unable to dodge as the drill slammed through the side of it's neck and threw it off balance.

"Hikari!" Shinji cried as he saw the class representative fall off of the damaged robot as he and Simon fell into a sprint to save her only to watch her vanish out of thin air.

"Got the girl." Naota reported above them as Kanti held the girl in it's arms while charged at Brittle Bullet.

"Now we smash!" Coop declared as he pressed a button that caused a massive cannon to form over both of Megas' fists and fired at the Brittle Bullet. One of the ensuing beams seared through the giant's poncho while the other was reflected by a shot from the lever action rifle and redirected to disintegrate about 30 million dollars of property damage.

Give or take a few million.

"Thanks." A relieved Shinji said to Naota as Simon frowned, "Set down somewhere safe okay?"

"Cool." Kanti saluted and flew away from the scene as Shinji and Naota directed their focus at the recovering Brittle Bullet as kicked into Megas' chest and a shotgun-like blast forced the blue robot into a nearby building.

"The hell?" Coop asked as Megas stood back up like nothing had happened, "Why does it have guns on it's feet? THAT'S MY GIG!" Megas swiped it's leg under the robot's legs to knock it off balance and kicked into it's torso, unleashing a warheard stuck into it's body and as Megas fired a mazer beam that created a barrier around the robot unleashed a large nuclear explosion that incinerated the robot's poncho.

"What was that?"

"Just a Mazer Refractor." Coop answered a stunned Simon, "Nothing goes in, but nothing goes out. I kind of thought that it was useless until my friend Zechs gave me that nice tip-"

"Coop!" Naota warned as Kanti swung to deflect a bullet into a nearby building that exploded from impact. As Kanti, Megas, Eva and Lagann watched, the Brittle Bullet launched out over the four as it revealed itself to be a large hand with guns at the end of each finger and inside of it's palm was a pale buddha-like face, "That's new."

"You've fought this thing before."

"Yeah..." Naota answered Shinji, "Except that it didn't have an M-6 shot-pistol or a Desert eagle on it's other fingers...or a face in it's palm."

"This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

"Yeah." The robot pointed each of it's fingers at each foe with an extra one for Eva. After striking each of it's foes down an shooting off Eva's other arm, the mouth of it's face opened up and fired down a great helix beam that was barely held off by Eva's AT field and Megas' twin double-barreled beam nuclear-fission guns.

"Did we miss anything?" A familiar voice asked as another beam cancelled out the Brittle Bullet's attack and knocked the robot aside, ""Lets go Liger Zero Jaeger!" At once, Liger Zero Jaeger jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind it's beleaguered rangers.

"Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shot out of the city street and launched the Brittle Bullet into the air and fired a beam out of it's head that sliced through it's palm.

"Escaflowne! Escalate!" A giant rock appeared out of nowhere and Escaflowne broke out of the giant rock and stabbed Brittle Bullet's middle finger and slashed down across it's back before it kneeled down behind the others as Big O walked over and helped Eva onto it's feet as it regrew it's arms.

"Guys!"

"Hey guys." Van greeted Simon, "Who are you?"

"Name's Coop, your little buds here was having a hard time so I lent a hand."

"Thanks." Roger said as Coop just gave a thumbs up, "You alright Simon?"

"I'm good."

"What is that?"

"A giant...hand the size of a large skyscraper..." Bit answered a confused Van, "Simon?"

"Don't look at me!" Simon cried out while Lagann pointed to Kanti, "It came out of his head!"

"This time it wasn't me!" Naota yelled out as his head poked out of Kanti's visor.

"Wait..." Simon caught Naota's words and growled, "So other stuff comes out of your head!"

"I don't put it in there! They just pop out-"

"Enough!" Roger shouted to break the boys up, "We'll talk later. Right now, let's get this guy down."

"Right." The team and their allies said together as Brittle Bullet stood back on it's two "fingers" and and started stomping towards the rangers while blasting away buildings with it's three arms.

"We got in some pretty good hits." Van observed, "But that was because of surprise and we won't have that going for us again."

"Combine?"

"Combine!"

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

"Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." The computer voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets. The boasters of Jaeger also formed into Mecha Lord's.

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Lord activated," The computer said as Mecha Lord stood upon the scorched earth with the heated wind failing in it's presence.

"Awesome..." Coop breathed with fangirlish eyes, "Can I-"

"No you can't have one." Jamie said without turning from his magazine as Coop whined.

_"Cast in the name of God."_ Mecha Lord's screen displayed on the pilot's console, _"Yee not guilty."_

"Okay..."

_"But the wimp needs work."_

"One of these days-"

"When I figure out what that means that I'll tell you all." Roger said to his fellow rangers especially the grumbling Shinji, "Mecha Lord! Action!" Kanti leapt into Mecha Lord's open hand and turned into a massive guitar which the Gattai-Mecha didn't question as it launched itself towards the Brittle Bullet. Meanwhile, Megas started into a full-speed dash and used a dance manuever to avoid the robot's attacks while Mecha Lord appeared above and shattered the guitar against Brittle Bullet's head and threw a Piston Drill Punch into it's upper chest.

Brittle Bullet was blasted down as Megas pulled out a large sword slashed off it's pinky finger before it's adjoined gun could attack. Mecha Lord jumped onto it's middle finger and used it's sword to slash off the top half of it's finger before using it's barrier to hold off the helix cannon that fired out of the hand's now visible face.

Suddenly glowing, Kanti brought out a guitar and flew down to the face after it fired it's beam and swung into it's forehead, but was stopped by a strange probability negative barrier that pushed back the red robot as Megas jumped up and belly-flopped onto the robot's palm with spinning blades appearing all over it's body that cut through it's index finger.

As Mecha Lord stabbed it's sword into what was left of the middle finger, it's remaining two fingers swiped away Megas and Kanti and caught Mecha Lord between the two of them as the other three fingers reformed from black particles. The face then opened it's mouth and fired another helix cannon that engulfed the Mecha Lord and threw it into the air.

"Simon!"

"RIGHT!" Simon agreed as Mecha Lord activated it's barrier "MEGA..."

"NITROUS!" Coop called as Megas began to move with lightning speed and dealt several hundred kicks to Brittle Bullet in the span of a second that sent it flying upwards as Mecha Lord latched onto the attack machine with a chain that went into each finger.

"FURIOUS!" Kanti smoked as it grabbed it's guitar, flew under the massive sky-scraper sized hand and kicked up to send the hand flying more quickly into the sky.

"DRRIIIILLLLLL!" Mecha Lord formed it's arm into a two-colored helix spiral of drills as it focused it's barrier around itself, "BRREEAAAAAKKKKEEEERRRR!" Mecha Lord launched towards the rising machine despite it's helix cannon and slammed it's glowing attack through the enemy's open palm and penetrated out of it's back holding a small red core that it broke in it's jaws as explosions engulfed the Brittle Bullet.

But it was not done.

"It's still alive!" Shinji barked out in frustration as Mecha Lord formed a large lance that it threw at the Brittle Bullet's brittle finger that took it off as the rest of the machine began to glow and threw itself down at the unprepared Mecha Lord, "It's trying to self-destruct!"

"Brace yourselves!" Roger said as the Brittle Hand fell towards Mecha Lord, "Hold on...isn't that..."

"Naota..." As Simon watched, Naota himself was using a single hand to hold off Brittle Bullet's remaining fingers as he stood in midair with a red glow around his body and strange symbol that gleamed on his forehead.

"Coming your way Coop!" Naota fell back as Kanti sliced through the finger with his guitar and threw it at Naota who caught the guitar, split it into two distinct instruments and flew up towards the shattered face within the hand. As Brittle Bullet fired a final cannon, Naota split the beam with his two guitars as he flew up and then slammed the instruments into the Brittle Bullet's palm to sending the glowing machine flying up into the sky.

"Nice swing!" Coop complemented as Megas activated a new combo weapon that he'd recently created, "Now for the COOP-DE-GRACE!" As Naota and the rangers watched, Coop slammed his face into the big red button on his console to have Megas bring a massive wave motion gun out of it's chest that it fired at the ascending machine. The beam impacted the damaged Brittle Bullet and created a thin forcefield around it as a small black glowing ball floated out towards the palm's face. The ball rapidly expanded within the forcefield until the field collapsed down to a unseeable levels and vanished out of this dimension.

"Incredible..."

"Astounding..."

"Nice..."

"Not my problem...not my problem...not my problem..."

"Simon?" Shinji asked his now-unresponsive friend as he addressed their new ally, "Hey! Where's Hikari?"

"She's with Annie at the pet shop." Roger answered, "Thanks for your help."

"I was just around." Naota shrugged off, "Sides, that thing trashed my moped."

"Shut up kid!" Coop yelled from across the area, "You can pull another one out of your head!"

"It hurts like hell though..." Naota admitted and then saluted Mecha Lord's helmet, "Anyway...later kid."

"Who...are you..." Simon breathed out as Naota fell onto Kanti's shoulders and the red robot flew away towards another part of the city, "I'm...I'm not some kid..."

"Don't worry about him Simon." Shinji assured the young digger, "Sides, we need to find Hikari."

* * *

**District 26 Pet Shop**

"Hikari! Come back inside!"

"But I wanna see Shinji kick ass..." Hikari dizzily said to the little girl inside the shop as she wobbled outside, "Oh...hello..."

"Hello miss." The gentleman in a dirty trench coat greeted with what some may call a "rape face", "You don't look too good do ya?"

"Of course she doesn't mate." His partner pointed out as a group of unsortly folk appeared, "Young girl's been out drinking? Haven't ya?"

"No..." Hikari defended dizzily, "Somebody...put...something...in my drink..."

"Drugged?" One of the ruffians laughed, "A smart lass like you? Unlikely."

"Then again, it's always the quiet ones." His irish comrade said, "Cause they'll never tell anyone."

"So if you'll come with us-" The group's leader grabbed the girl on her upper arm but was thrown in front of her and punched in the face.

"Bloody hell!" One of the punks yelled excitedly when he saw his friend stay on the floor unconscious, "She's got fight in her..."

"She's a jap, they always have some fight in them."

"But that drink will be sapping the last of it." The irishman pointed out as Hikari felt strength seep from her legs and she fell onto her bottom, "There ya go."

"What's this?" "Who are you little girl?"

"Leave Hikari alone!" The little girl yelled as she kicked one of the gang-bangers in the shin and caused him to yelp painfully as he fell onto his back like a brick had slammed into his leg, "Or I'll tell my daddy!"

"Who is your daddy miss?"

"The Negotiator!"

"Roger Smith?" Suddenly, one of the gangbangers was very unsure about their deal tonight, "The man with the black robot that crashes through buildings when it comes out?"

"Yes."

"Lads...maybe we oughta cut our losses and go."

"I agree." The irishman stated as he motioned towards the barely concious japanese girl and reached into his pocket for candy, "So little girl, how about you run along and take this candy?"

"Annie..." Hikari blurted out happily as she latched her thighs onto one of the gangbanger's head and pressed down until he fell to the ground unconcious, "Candy sounds nice right now...maybe Shinji has some..."

"But candy won't help you right now!" Annie cried out as she ran over to Hikari and pushed away one of the gangbangers, slamming the poor man into a nearby wall as Annie started dragging away her friend, "We need to find daddy and the rangers-"

"But it's a nice creamy little snack that will only take a few moments to-"

"You can have some too if you want miss."

"Hell's wrong with you!" The Irishman slapped his comrade on the head with a night stick as the others marveled at how they'd lost half of their men to two girls, one of whom was supposed to be drugged, "She's a little girl for Henry's sake!"

"I believe that the child has stated her disapproval of your proposal." A before unseen observer warned the ruffians, no longer content to watch this unfold further, "Now be good gentlemen and respect her wishes."

"Or how about we kill you, good sir?"

"I welcome the attempt." The observer boasted calmly as the remaining gang-bangers brought out their weapons. Two had brass knuckles on their fists, the irishman brought out a muslim shiv in conjuction with a nightstick and the last brought out a gun.

The observer went first for the gunman while grabbing one of the knucklemen and slinging him towards the gang-banger who shot his comrade out of reflex before the observer grabbed the man's arm, broke it by tightening his grip and slamming an elbow into his neck. After that, the other knuckleman started lashing out with a series of punches that the observer countered with lighter but swift slaps each time the man punched out. When the man became tired, the observer tipped his hat and motioned towards his white mask. The gangbanger smiled and punched his foe.

Breaking his arm at multiple points.

Seeing his comrade fall down in defeat, the last gangbanger decided not to test his irish luck and threw away the knife as he surrendered. The observer cocked his head and swiftly grabbed the man's nightstick and appeared in front of him too fast for his eyes to keep up.

"We are oft to blame in this; 'Tis too much proved, that with devotions visage and Pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself".

"What?"

"Read a book." V slapped the stick across the man's face, knocking him out cold as he heard the little girl whimper and attempt to pull her friend away, "Despite appearances, I mean the two of you no harm child."

"Who are you mister?"

"Who?" The masked man asked, "Who is but the form following the function of what. And what I am is a man in a mask."

"I can see that"

"Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man, who he is."

"Oh...sorry..."

"No worry child." The observer assured the now calmed and curious child, "But allow me a moment to present the character of this enigmatic visage."

"Voila!" The observer unfurled his cloak dramatically as the little girl watched his presentation, "In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition."

"The only verdict is vengeance." The man whispered, "A vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous."

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

"Encore! Encore!" The little girl cheered, prompting the observer to laugh at this unexpected reception.

"Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that its my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.

"What does V stand for?"

"For the time-being, suffice to say that it is a letter to symbolize an anagram of my first time." V stated as he stood up and put his hat back on, "Vergil."

"Why not use your first name?"

"Again, I refer you to the irony of asking a masked man who he is."

"Okay." The little girl was quite accepting of his want for secrecy. V found this curious, "I'm Annie...Annie Smith."

"Annie. An-nie." Now V could see why, "Tell me, is your mother one by the name of Dorothy Waynewright Smith married to a negotiator named Roger Smith?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It appears that fate has placed us into each other's company for a reason." V said as he knelt down to the older girl lying on her back, "Your friend appears to be out of sorts?"

"I was...drugged..." The girl with pig-tails said aloud before the intoxication of her poison knocked her head onto Annie's lap, "I have friends?"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." V offered as he walked over to the girl and pressed his gloved hand against the side of her neck to check her pulse. It didn't take much to realize that she had been administered a very powerful drug, "I have dealt with cowardly lots like them in the past and if your friends apply this to her treatment then she should be well soon."

"Annie." Annie's father said as he panted while a worried Shinji knelt down next to Hikari, "What did I tell you about wondering off-"

"Please excuse the child's unintended disobediance, she was acting out of self-preservation and friendship." V said to worried negotiator, "This girl has been drugged with an enhanced form of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate or GHB...an already potent form of...an undesirable activity. Your daughter bravely resisted the ruffians who were attempting to take advantage of the young woman and may have bought the ample time for my unprecedented arrival to the scene."

"He's V." Annie answered, "He saved me and Hikari from the miscreants."

"Though your father is right to suspect a masked man," V pointed out politely, "I can assure that I mean no harm to your daughter and if my presence bothers you so, I shall take my leave and you will not hear of me until fate decrees."

"Wait. You saved my daughter? Thank you, V."

"I only did what any average soul would have done and it was a small part really." V replied, "But, I do hope that we meet again before the decreed time, Negotiator."

"Decreed time? What does mean good sir?"

"It means that while we are both seekers of truth in an ironic duology, our methods will inevitably clash." V replied as Roger suddenly became mistrustful of this masked man, "But I will not darken your night with such thoughts and shall wish you a good evening."

"What an odd man." Roger noted, "Do you believe he is a member of the hacker group?"

"Anonymous?" Shinji asked for clarification while picking up Hikari, "Maybe."

"He was very funny." Annie said excitedly as the rest of the rangers came onto the scene, "I think he likes Shakespeare."

"A child actually knows and speaks the word Shakespeare knowingly." V whispered as he walked away from the scene, "Perhaps there is hope for this upcoming generation."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**One cliche that I've always found hilarious is the joust. When two rivals/enemies just lunge at each other over a lengthy distance in order to begin their climatic showdown. Sometimes this can be pretty cool with the two opening with a powerful attack; subdued to where they're just closing the distance and don't even do anything until they start fighting; or...**

**They jump at each other.**

**That is the one that always cracks me up. In Count of Monte Cristo, they tackle each other; in the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes movie, they leap at each other in the air; and the one time that I thought it was cool was in the 3rd Matrix movie where Neo and Smith fly into each other and everything parts around them.**

**What you just saw was what should have happened when they did the third variant in Mission Impossible 2. They lunged at each other from perfectly good motorcycles, crashed in midair and were still able to get and keep fighting despite the numerous injuries that they should have had from that stunt. What cracks me up is that they both came up with the exact same idea at around the same time.**

**Lastly, I wonder how many boss designs are rejected before one is green-lighted?**

**Whatever the process is, I'm pretty sure that the executives will shake their heads in confusion when someone submits a giant hand wearing a cowboy outfit with guns on the fingers, a face in the palm that can fire a pair helix laser cannon out of it's eyes and emit a sonic blast from it's mouth.**

**Also, I may do a poll at some point soon but I don't exactly know what to do it for. Best action moments? Funny moments? Favorite characters? Most desired monster? Favorite monster? Most unexpected appearance? What do you guys think?**


	16. Rock the Horizon and Duel

**_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Simon and his apparent rival Naota butt heads in a climatic but disappointingly brief stand off!_

_Mokuba learns disturbing truths about the Evas and subjects the messenger to a fate worse than death._

_In 3D!_

_Asuka gets a nice accidental view of the black prince's bishonen endowment, right before a viscount suffers a fatal heart failure after looking at the emperor's ridiculous beard and she's promoted to take his place._

_But she's surprisingly cool with it for some reason._

_Out on the open sea, a random captain discovers that a extra hull might have prevented his untimely death. But who cares anyway?  
_

_Shinji goes renegade on a creepy perverted chef while not on a date with a certain class representative, causing the poor man to get chewed out by Chef Ramsey!_

_He then gets revenge by turning into a giant hand wearing a cloak that...holds guns on each end of the fingers..._

_I know it sounds stupid..._

_The Rangers assemble to kick some ass with help from Naota's guitar wielding robot and a customized robot piloted by a slacker from Jersey._

_A masked man appears and quotes shakespeare as he beats the crap out of some stereotypical thugs...even though half of them had already been owned by a little girl and a drugged class representative._

_Can Hikari's condition be treated? Who was stupid enough to engineer the pack of bio-engineered lizards that are now loose? What is operation Skyhook? How come no one has noticed a bishonen white haired boy sitting on the moon throwing lances at earth? How are those lances not destroying entire land masses with the speed that they must have been thrown? Why is Angel Groove spelled with an extra o?_

_All of these questions and more will be answered...right now. Yes; The United States Government; Classified; I don't know...people are idiots; There's enough collatoral damage as it is; Ask Kaiba._

_And now for your feature presentation:_

* * *

**Industrial Illusions HQ, California**

"I know that it's been years..." A very happy man thought out loud while looking at the pattern in his new eye through a hand mirror, "But this pattern in my new eye is so...fabulous!"

"Mr. Pegasus!"

"Is Kaiba boy on the line?" Pegasus was expecting him, but was still excited, "Oh! Patch him through!"

"Pegasus, what do you want?"

"Why so drool Kaiba boy? I thought that we were old friends?"

"You kidnapped my brother, turned my company executives against me, took my brother's soul, forced me to play a children's card game where I was literally an inch from death and then took away my soul in a children's card game by taking the hottest sexiest duel monster's card and turning it into a five-year old toon. We're not friends."

"Touche." Pegasus conceded to the stern hologram of Kaiba, "But what about that time where I saved your brother from the Pyramid of Light?"

"Didn't we agree to never speak of that again?"

"Or the time where I helped you stop the unfabulous lot who used the Seal of Oricalcos?"

"Anything you told us didn't help in the end."

"What about holding my end of the bargain with Yugi boy and freeing your souls before loosing my eye in an ancient Egyptian laser struggle?"

"Still pretty sore about all of that." Kaiba stated as he went on, "Anyway, I came here because I know about Tokita's scheme in the upcoming Exhibition."

"You're...welcome..."

"Whatever." Pegasus chuckled at Kaiba's attitude, "I'm also warning you now, that if this has anything to do with your new friends. I might just be tempted to have the tie-breaker that I owe you and if I win, I will control Duel Monsters."

"True..." Pegasus said with a smile, "But if I win, you have to conduct a satanic ritual to revive my Cecilia."

"Uh...no." Seto answered bluntly, "Since you don't have anything useful to tell me-"

"But I do, Kaiba boy." Pegasus pressed a button on the armchair of his chair to fax a few interesting documents to Seto, "A little update on Genome's mines. You'll do what you want with them, I'm sure that you'll find this latest bit of news...interesting."

"Whatever." Kaiba said as he got the information on the other side of the line and read through them, "The Fuck? That's why he has them down there?"

"Mordid stuff, I know." Pegasus shivered just thinking about what Genome was creating, "Do what you want with them. But I have an incoming call that I have to take, so...ta ta for now."

"Bye." With that Kaiba was gone, leaving Pegasus content. Until he heard his secretary page him again.

"Patch the Gnome through." Pegasus said, knowing exactly who it was, "Gnomy! You're so-" Pegasus didn't flinch as a large spiralling spike launched out of his floor and into the ceiling of his office.

"My name...is LordGenome." The bronze lord with folded arms said as the solemn hall of his throneroom was projected over Pegasus' office, "I will not tolerate your pet names."

"Oh...you're no fun." Pegasus said as the spike receded and he exhaled at the damage that was done, "What is it?"

"Ikari."

"Which one?"

"The bastard king."

"Oh...that one..." Pegasus wasn't surprised, "Though I wouldn't throw around accusations in your shoes, Aether Gnome-" Another spike shot up behind Pegasus and caused more damage to his fabulous office.

"As I said." Lord Genome continued, "I will not tolerate your pet names...nor the usage of irrelevant titles."

"How do you even know where I am?" Pegasus asked as the spike went back into the ground, "And you ruined my ceiling! I do hope you plan to pay for this-"

"I don't."

"Glad you're honest about it." Pegasus didn't even bother trying to fight over it. Just then, he noticed someone else in the Spiral King's throneroom, "What's this? Ikari's blue-haired ward?"

"Yes." The young girl emotionlessly answered, "The Commander instructed me to follow your orders."

"Ikari left her with me. He said that you were sending her to the Grove? No?"

"Oh my..." Pegasus was now intrigued, "Do you have an attraction to Japanese women? I mean last time she was at least a little older but this is just-" Another spike launched through the ground, this time it stopped just an inch from the bored face of Maximillion Pegasus.

"I do not believe that your usage of lethal force is appropriate-"

"Silence doll," LordGenome said to the girl as the black spike returned into the ground and Pegasus found his wine glass, "If you are done with your games, we may proceed with business."

* * *

**Angel Groove District 29**

"What the hell happened to Megas?"

"I said to walk." Jamie explained to Kiva, "But no! Coop wanted to go across the city to find Blockbuster and we get caught in the middle of a death match between the rangers and a giant hand with guns on each finger."

"I thought that the two you didn't take drugs?"

"We don't." Coop said from atop of the damaged Megaus, "You didn't see the fight from the distance?"

"No, we didn't." Zechs said when his phone began to ring, "Excuse me..."

"Sure Zechs." Kiva went back to bickering with Jamie about how they couldn't have missed that fight while Zechs left the basement.

"Hello?" He asked as he entered the back room of the apartment.

"Turn around." The caller replied as Zechs complied. In a second, he had his gun pointed in the face of a masked man while the man had two knives held against his throat, "Milliardo Peacecraft, lost heir to the Sanc Kingdom, Lightning Baron of the White Fang, and an inactive Sleeper for the Seeds of Zeon."

"I see that you're well-informed my friend." Zechs complemented amidst this standoff, "What do you want?"

"I will require your assistance and in exchange, you shall have mine."

"What would I need your assistance for?"

"Because it is the only way that he will ever get out of Jaburo."

"I see..." Zechs said reminded of what all this man was known for. He was a seeker of truth afterall, "Why should I trust anything that you say, V?"

"Because it's the only way that you'll survive this encounter." V replied when Zechs felt the metal of the blades press against his throat, "You see unlike your head of mortal make, I am of a different make than you sir. I am a masked man, one who has forsaken identity and name in order to represent an idea. So while your bullet might pierce me, the idea shall survive. For ideas are bullet-proof."

"But, in order for the idea to be personified it must spread." "If my bullet silences your voice before the idea spreads, then the idea shall die with you."

"Clever theory...shall we test it."

"Hey Zechs! We need help with calibrations on the-" Coop quietly saw the standoff with odd complacency, "Whose he?"

"An associate of your roommate." V explained as he quickly pulled away his knives, "We were just practicing for a vicious violent voracious duet which we shall be apart of."

"Oh..." Coop accepted as Zechs holstered his pistol and quietly wiped away the sliver of blood going down his neck, "Want some pizza?"

"Pizza?" V walked past an unsurprised Coop and then walked back as if pondering a thought, "Despite having sworn an oath to abstain from such foods of industrial manipulation and modern stagnation...I am only mortal and the love of pizza is a vice that I am most guilty of."

"What about the idea you represent?"

"What good is an idea if I starve myself to death?"

* * *

**Home of the Negotiator**

"Why did they make robots?"

"It's what people do when they're advanced and slothful. They either force someone else to do all of their work or they create machines to do it for them."

"Okay...so what happened next?"

"Well...the robots of the Reverent were smart enough to eventually tinker with their own AI, allowing them to become smarter and more aware of themselves. They even started asking questions...questions that frightened the Reverent."

"What was the question mommy?"

"Do these units have a soul...The Reverent told the machines that they could change themselves however they wanted. They could feel like people, talk and even react like people, but they could never be people because they didn't have souls. They were created for a set purpose and therefore, they were self-thinking tools."

"That's a horrible thing to say..."

"It was. So the machines decided on another course of action. By using something called the Spiral, the machines altered the forms of a select few human-like robots to replicate a function of a mother."

"So the robots could have babies?"

"Yes." Dorothy went on as her daughter happily waited for the next part, "The children were strange to the Reverent...they acted as any person would from the moment of their birth. Yet naturally retained great strength and logical reasoning from their "parents." However, the Council still saw them as no different from machines because they saw their births as...unnatural."

"Until one day." This memory in her databank was a hard one to survey, even quickly. She took a moment to breath before telling her daughter the next part of the tale, "The Council brought Geth Unit 431 to trial for engaging in a fight with several young Reverent."

"I thought robots weren't supposed to hurt the Reverent?"

"They weren't." Dorothy said, "When questioned about his actions, G-Unit 431 stated that the reverent had attacked his "child" and that she did not wish to be harmed and "used"."

"Oh..." Annie nodded as if agreeing with what G-Unit 431 had done, "So 431 was just doing what you or daddy would have done."

"Yes." Dorothy agreed, "431's response baffled the council, G-Unit even went further on to state that it knew it was violating the law through it's actions. But stated that if given a choice...it would have repeated the same action again."

"So what happened mommy?" Annie asked, "What happened to the robot's kids?"

"The Council eventually ruled that their children were sentient beings after G-Unit 431's trial." Dorothy explained, "Therefore, all of them were released from slavery...and went on to live with the robots."

"Did that mean that no one else had to be a slave?"

"That's right." Dorothy answered though the tale did become harsher after this, "After that, the plants and their children were also given rights as sentient beings and the Reverent people welcomed them..."

"I like that story..."

"I'm glad that you do." Dorothy agreed as she tucked her little girl into her bed, "Now off to bed."

"Mommy..."

"Yes Annie?"

"Did the robots...ever find a soul?"

"I don't know..." Dorothy answered truthfully, somehow saddened by this fact, "No one really knows what a soul is."

"Do you think robots can have souls?"

"I couldn't answer that question." Dorothy admitted...somewhat bitterly though her daughter didn't catch on, "Why Annie?"

"I always wondered if Big-O and Liger had souls." Annie said, "Daddy and Bit always talk about them like they're friends. But how can you be friends with something that isn't alive?"

"Perhaps it is the male fascination with their mecha." Dorothy replied with a smirk, "Remember that your father is a louse."

"But he's our louse." Annie said before she yawned, "Good night."

"Good night, little one." Giving her daughter a kiss on her forehead, Dorothy left her bedroom and returned to her own.

"Which story?"

"The Trial of G-Unit 431." Dorothy answered her husband and noticed him exhale, "You disapprove?"

"I still remember the unfiltered version."

"I told her the tale in a manner befitting for her understanding." Dorothy explained while pulling the covers over her form and joining Roger, "She is still young...while I will not lie to her, she doesn't need to know all of it now."

"You mean what happened after the trial?"

"Yes."

"I'm still shocked that you have memories going back that far." Roger noted, "How did you get them? Who gave the recordings to you?"

"I don't know." Dorothy answered, a white lie with a truth that no one would believe.

"Dalstan, this better be good." Roger said as he heard his phone ring on the counter.

"I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't Roger." Dorothy heard Dalstan say on the loud speaker, "We just got the report on this thing...whatever the hell it is."

"Tell me what you know."

"Well...it flew in from the east." The officer reported, "Landed in District 40 and left a bit of a mess. It's profile only matches one other mecha that we've seen."

"Which one?"

"It's a megadues Roger, a red one."

"I see..." Dorothy noticed the deeper tone in Roger's voice, this worried him, "Keep the area on lockdown, I'll check out first thing in the morning. Got it?"

"Alright Roger." The officer cut the line and Roger set up from bed and walked over to the window.

"A Red Megadues..."

"One that I never thought I'd ever hear about again." Roger replied as Dorothy thought of the same thing that he did, "Big Duo."

* * *

**District 36**

"Sorry."

"What for?"

"It's all my fault." The young girl mumbled in delirium, her paled eyes looked up lifelessly at the ceiling as Shinji Ikari sat at the foot of her bed, "You got hurt again...Annie was almost hurt...it's all my fault..."

"Hikari." Shinji grabbed the girl's hand and squeezed it with his own, "What happened was not your fault."

"Yes it is...if I wasn't so stupid..." Hikari said as she returned Shinji's squeeze with her own, "It's just like with mom..."

"Hikari..."

"Why do people get hurt when I make a mistake?" The class representative asked as a tear fell down her face, "People were hurt because I was stupid."

"Hikari, that monster would have attacked regardless of whether you were drugged." Shinji told her as he leaned over next to her face, "Even if you were ever stupid, no one deserves to have that happen to them."

"You're too kind..." Hikari replied with a wane smile, "Looking after this...plain stupid little girl...what kind of idiot takes a drink from a...creepy pedophile..."

"Me stabbing the guy didn't exactly help."

"Shinji..."

"What is it?"

"You said you'd teach me how to play the violin..."

"And I still will." Shinji assured his friend, "But right now, you need rest okay?"

"Okay..." Hikari replied as her face turned to Shinji's, "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Doing what you always do."

"What is-" Hikari stood up out her bed and latched onto a stunned Shinji. In his confusion and fear, he saw her eyes practically press onto his and her breath on his mouth. Shinji knew what was happening and raised up his arms to pull her away from him.

As much as he may have wanted it, he just couldn't bring himself to accept anything that Hikari offered him.

Especially with the little boy sitting in the window. Laughing at and mocking him in this delicate moment.

"I'm sorry..." Hikari apologized as she pulled back from her attempted kiss as Shinji breathed in relief, "I don't...I don't know what just came over me..."

"This is why you need rest." Shinji said to her as he laid her back onto her bed.

"Bye..."

"See ya." Shinji replied to the now sleep Hikari, "I'll be back tomorrow alright?" With that, Shinji stood up and left Hikari's room.

"How is she?" Bit asked as he and the other rangers and a few others waited outside of the apartment.

"I guess we got that cure to her just in time..."

"GHB does very bad things to a grown woman." Nurse Jenny explained, "You're all lucky that this antidote was applied when it was. Any later and it would've eroded her state of mind. As she is, she'll be bedridden for a while and after that, she's going to experience various short episodes of out-of-character ticks."

"Why?"

"That's just going to be her body working the rest of the GHB out of her system." Ramirez chimed on, "This form of GHB...I haven't seen this sense that run through Siberia."

"What happened there?"

"A few years back, we were tracking an old friend." Price recounted as he and several other Task 141 members looked at the same empty spot in the wall, "We lost him by a day, but we did come across a trafficking site where they were receiving, storing and transferring delicate cargo. The poor things...the GHB had been in their system for months, whittling down their sense of will until they were left barely able to move on their own...perfect for some rich perverted bastard with no objection to using a drugged-out young woman as a toy for gratification."

"What happened to the girls?"

"We cleaned the facility and called in the authorities." Soap joined in as he exhaled, "But...it was too late for most of them. With the length that it had been in their systems...some of them were going to die regardless...the rest...had to be retaught basic facilities...even then...I doubt that they'll be able to rejoin society...or would want to."

"Fiends." Van growled, "Where are those thugs now?"

"We're keeping them locked up at Command Central." Roger said, "We'll hold a trial for them soon, a short one since there isn't much to prove."

"Is there...anything else-"

"You've done all that you can son." The doctor said to Shinji, "The worst of is over, right now she just needs rest. Come by and visit later or tomorrow."

"Noriko." Shinji said to Hikari's roommate, "Look after her alright?"

"Hai!" The girl replied with a determined salute, "She'll be fine sir!"

"At ease...we're not in uniform."

"She's a rookie that's all." Michael waved off, "Call us if anything comes up."

"Yes sir."

* * *

**District 40**

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"What?"

"This." Roger listened on as the Zoid's ace drove through the district, hearing Van and Bit go back and forth, "You mean to tell me that ancient greeks believed that their god of water rode on a chariot pulled by horses with crab-like legs and the hind quarters of fish?"

"Out all of the strange mythologies that's the one you find odd?" Bit asked Van, "Hows it any better than princes being sent out to fight dragons before they're allowed to be become king?"

"Here we go again..."

"How do you put up with it?"

"Same way that everyone else does." Roger answered Heero who sat in the front seat, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

"Didn't Hitomi almost die to fight yours?"

"Yeah..." Roger heard Van admit, "But it's okay because I beat Death-berry and got her patched up, alright?"

"Death-berry?"

"The Shinigami? The Grim Reaper?" Roger heard Van asked Bit, "The orange kid with the white mask?"

"What?"

"I've heard about him." Roger answered Van, "The Japanese have this story about a school-boy who challenged Death to a duel and won. But, Death being the cleaver one and becoming tired of strong-willed boys overcoming fate, cursed the teen to take his place upon his death. A year later, some sick bastard dropped a piano on the kid and thus was the Death-Berry born. Eternally punished to administer death and judgement to any Japanese."

"That sounds kind of stupid," Bit answered, "And I've heard from stories over the years..."

"It's actually true." Van corrected, "After I fought and beat the dragon, Death-berry came for Hitomi. But since I owed her my life, I was able to intercede and challenge the kid to a duel. I won and the kid even taught me his signature move out of respect."

"That sounds...stupidly convenient." Bit replied, "You challenged death, in the form of a mask wearing school boy, and not only beat him in duel, but you also got him to teach you his signature move?"

"Better than selling your soul for a guitar."

"Who'd trade their everlasting soul for a guitar?"

"An American." Heero answered, earning a chuckle from Roger, "To be fair, it never feels like you're using it."

"Is this the place?"

"Yeah..." Roger said as Bit pulled the van over and let the negotiator get out, "Thanks for the lift boys."

"No prob." Bit said back, "Let me know if you need any help..."

"Thanks for the offer," Roger said to himself as he saw his fellow rangers drive away, "But this is my demon to face."

"Sir." A DF soldier saluted Roger before the Negotiator rolled his eyes and motioned that youth to ease, "This way..." Following the soldier, Roger walked through the mostly undeveloped landscape. Only recently marked off, district 40 was mostly home to unused land preserved for future projects. Rumor had it that Kaiba was going to build Kaiba-land here...

Amongst other things.

"So it's you after all..." Roger said to himself as he stepped closer to a carving in the land and found the reported red megadues laying on it's back within the crater that it must have created when it landed, "Has it moved since landing?"

"No..." Dalsten replied, "But the cockpit is completely sealed, plus...it used reverse thrusters when it landed."

"This wasn't random then..." Roger smoothed his hand over the armored plating of the mecha, "Someone sent it here."

"Why would they send it crashing in the middle of a city? Especially one that's as heavily guarded as Angel Groove?"

"Because they're not worrying about reclaiming it...hell, they might be in the city already." Roger concluded as he stared into the blank face of the red mecha, "Dalsten...I don't like this set-up, don't like it at all."

* * *

**Angel Groove Bus Line**

"I don't know."

"Aniki?"

"I...I just don't know Simon."

"Why not?"

"It's just that..." Shinji started, unsure of how to say something this silly. So he just said it, "I don't know what love is."

"What?" Simon said in confusion. Bro had always said that love was one of the passionate fuels that started manly wildfires...something that everyone had, "How come you don't know what love is?"

"It sounds silly...I know..." Shinji chuckled to himself, "But...no one...ever told me what it was...All I know now is what it isn't...but that's not enough."

"I see..." Simon nodded in understanding, maybe it had something to do with his father, "So you do like her, but you don't know what kind of like it is."

"I guess..." Shinji replied to Simon as the two boarded a light-rail bus, "Is it...different between how you love Kamina and how you love Nia?"

"What?"

"I mean! Not like that! I meant-"

"Yeah...I see what you meant," Simon answered after the boys took a seat in the sparsely populated bus, "Bro's always had my back since I was a kid. After my parents died...he was the only one who ever noticed me and was always there telling me to do my best. One time, we were trapped when after one of his "get to the surface" schemes and if it wasn't for him cheering me on...we wouldn't have made it back to the village. That's when I knew that Kamina was my brother, he would always be there for me, pushing me, encouraging me, and would never give up on me."

"Then we formed the brigade." Simon continued while Shinji listened, "Everyone's at peace with each other. We argue, joke around and slug each other, but we're companions. We all came from different villages and had to learn together about what it was like to just...relax...not have to worry about the ceiling caving in...or not having enough light or air...we just...lived together..."

"With Nia..." Shinji smiled as Simon started to blush, "It's like the sun's always up, the sky's always clear and the horizon will roll back when we walk towards it. I guess, that's the best way that I can say it...when I'm with her, I feel like I'm touching the sky. I look in her eyes and she never has to say anything. I just know that a part of me is with her and a part of her is with me. That we'll be together no matter what..."

"I'm not really good at this kind of stuff but..." Shinji was looking down in his lap. He always did that when he was on a bus...then again, Shinji never liked buses or trains, "Aniki?"

"Simon." Shinji spoke up, "When you call me...aniki...do you know what that means?"

"It means that your my aniki, my brother."

"Why do you call me that?"

"Shinji?" Simon asked in confusion, "You're my brother...why can't I call you aniki?"

"Nevermind," Shinji said as the bus came to a stop, "See you later, aniki."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm walking back." Shinji said to the young boy, "Get some air." With that, Shinji got off the bus just before it started on it's route again.

"This kind of thing really eats at Aniki..." Simon thought as the train carried on down the road, "Come to think of it...I used to be like that before I met Bro...THAT'S IT!" Simon opened up a window and jumped out of the moving bus, crashing onto a police car with an officer who twirled his mustache and jumped onto the sidewalk. As the young digger started running for Shinji, the police car flipped onto it's hood from the impact of Simon's action.

"Simon?" Shinji asked when he saw his friend in front of the wrecked and somehow complaining car, "What are you-"

"I'll walk with ya." Simon said, "That's what bros do when they love each other."

The air became heavy and silent when both boys realized what Simon just said.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" They both yelled at a nearby line of bushes, out emerged a pack of their fangirls who bitterly wept that their yaoi fantasy had been foiled.

At least there's always SasuNaru.

* * *

**Earth's Orbit**

"Blackout, report."

"In undisclosed location for recovery." Soundwave heard Blackout reply as the Communications Officer hovered above the fleshing world, "The ancestral copy received reinforcements...the king of braves was amongst them..."

"You acted wisely." Soundwave stated, "Until Shockwave and Starscream arrive, we do not have the power to face them alone."

"And what's Starscream going to do about that?" Blackout scoffed bitterly, "Plus, Shockwave is the worst shot in the galaxy, he couldn't hit the dark side of the moon!"

"No matter." Soundwave stated though he reluctantly agreed, "Stay in radio silence for now, seek for intel concerning Jaburo."

"Do you really think they put him there?"

"It is one of the only places on this planet that I have not been able to scan."

"Very well," Blackout agreed. "All hail Megatron!"

"Hail Megatron." With that, the line was cut and left Soundwave in his solitary state. Armed with Sonic-pulse cannons, Soundwave could easily decimate most major cities and vessels that this fleshling world could face. But he would only do so on the orders of his master.

Whom he had not heard from for many years.

Hearing an incoming signal, Soundwave patched it through to discover that it was the servant of Blackout, Scorponox.

"Horaki located. Moving into position."

"Soundwave acknowledges." The Communication's Officer began to move into position above Angel Groove's coordinates as he silently relayed the information to Blackout, "Pursue her, retrieve the location of the Lilin."

* * *

**A day outside of Angel Groove  
**

_The flame of the inn is dim tonight, Too many vacant chairs.  
The sun has lost too much of its light,  
Too many songs have taken flight,_

_Too many ghosts on the stairs.  
Charon, here's to you as man against man,  
I wish I could pick 'em the way you can!_

"That's pretty somber." Iraak admitted as the Dai-Gurren Brigade and the Defense Force drained their cups with an extra one waiting to be drained in honor of the absent.

"It's the toast we make just before we get home." Shiro explained, "For those who are getting buried and don't have a body to lay to rest..."

"A trade over from the Universal Wars..."

"Wait..." Kamina tipped his sunglasses after draining a king-sized cup without effect, "You fought in the Wars against Zeon?"

"Yeah...and before you say it..." Kou breathed before he went on, "Yes, a lot of us look a lot younger than we should."

"Why's that?"

"It's the Stagnare Juvenis..." Karen bitterly said as a few people grew quiet, "But...you live and work, right? Not like we can't go out with a blaze."

"You mean like Wilson did?"

"Yeah...when did he get it?" Terry asked a few other members, "Think he was...43? That was a rare age."

"I don't get it..." Rossiu said, "What does it do?"

"I guess it's one of those curses that should sounds awesome on paper." A young pilot said as he drained a bottle of Coke, "But living with it just...sucks. I was 17 when I got the Viral Cocoon syndrome and they gave me the Stagnare Juvenis to counter it...thirty six years later and..."

"You haven't aged a day..."

"Wait...I think that I've heard of the Viral Corprus..." Yoko remembered, "So why complain about the Stagnare?"

"Imagine that your standing in place." Shiro started, "But you can't move from that place while everyone around you moves on beyond your sight...any kids that you have...they'll never move any further than you've already gone...if you're from a terrestrial colony...ha! You'll never go home...your body is immune to everything on this planet...but go to another world and your body will never be able to fight off anything else..."

"The only real upside to this "cure" is that we heal at a faster rate than most people." Kou added, "But that's about it..."

"I don't see what the problem is." Rossiu stated, "Earth is just fine, why would anyone want to leave it? You're practically immortal once you retire, so I don't see how this "disease" is anything but a benefit-" Kamina slugged him across the face before he could continue, sending him flying across the room and hitting his head against the wall.

"You should've seen that coming." Kamina said with his glasses tipped down, "Any word from Angel Groove?"

"Kaiba's about to host that exhibition. Sadly, we'll have to miss it."

"Why? We're not far from the city."

"Cause then they'll talk trash about our mobile suits and how they're obsolete." One of the DF engineers named Berney said, "They'll probably even wanna pick a fight to prove that they're superior."

"Afraid of proving them wrong?"

"We've never lost." Shiro stated, "It's just a bother and it attracts unwanted attention. The Federation doesn't like it when discharged pilots and "pardoned" deserters humiliate recent advances in technology."

"So anyway..." Yoko said wanting to change the conversation, "How come Kittan never got back?"

"Who?" Kittan asked until Yoko wacked him on the head with her rifle, "Oh yeah! Kittan!"

"Where is that brother of ours?" Kiyal asked boredly while Kinon yawned, not that they weren't worried...it's just that he tended to do this. Just then, a crash rocked the transport and tipped over Yoko's drink, spilling it over her top without her noticing.

"Anyone hear something?" Yoko asked as Kamina's blood drained out of his nose along with a few other pilots, "It kind of sounds like someone crying from a punch to the face."

"It's probably nothing-"

"Let's go check it out Kamina." Shiro suggested as Kamina shrugged and left the dining room, "And wipe off your nose for crying out loud."

"Sorry about that Yoko has that effect...Kittan!" The Badass leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade smirked upon discovering Kittan lying against the wall in front of a wide hole in the hull, "We were just looking for you!"

"Ow..."

"What happened to you?"

"Kamille Bidan happened!" A pilot with dark blue-green hair yelled as he leapt into the transport through the hole and punched a dazed Kittan again, "Don't you ever call it a woman's name again! I AM A MAN!"

"He's pissed." Kamina noted as Kamille exhaled and started tapping his forehead, "You okay?"

"Daddy...the puppies won't stop biting my ears."

"He's fine." Kamina said as he walked away from a bludgeoned and dazed Kittan, "And you are?"

"Kamille?"

"Shiro? What the hell are you doing out here?"

"I oughta ask you the same thing!" Shiro shouted as he looked from Kamille to Kittan, "You just made a hole in our hull!"

"Yeah...I'm fine...thanks..."

"Walk it off Kittan."

* * *

**District 3 Kaiba Corp HQ Dining Hall**

"Why are we here again?"

"Kaiba wants the city's defenders to be represented."

"Hi ma'am. I'm Simon."

"So you're the little fire starter that Shiro's always talking about." The woman with a DF badge on the front of her suit said, "And you must be Shinji Ikari, it's so good to finally meet you."

"Ah...thank you ma'am..."

"Aina Sahalim Amada." The white haired woman replied politely, "Shiro's running late, so I'm representing the defense force."

"What's the point of all of this?"

"Exhibitions are ways for companies and inventors to show off achievements that they've completed or are on the verge of completing."

"But won't that put them at a disadvantage during wartime?" Van asked, "Since the enemy's going to know about what you can do ahead of time."

"That seems like the case, but it's not." Roger corrected, "Exhibitions are also a way of deceiving any adversaries. Allow them to prematurely place a bookmark on what your capable of."

"And when it comes for swinging." Bit went on, "You show up with gun when they were expecting a knife."

"That makes sense." Van agreed, "But Kaiba isn't like that at all. Isn't he more likely to show you how weak you are compared to him?"

"Trust me, I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

"Yugi!" Aina said in surprise to the boy with ridiculously spiky hair, "Rangers, this is Yugi Mutoi, CEO of the Kame Game Distribution Corp."

"But people call it Grandpa's company for short." Yugi added with a hint of shame, "He doesn't care either way."

"How is your grandpa?"

"Healthy as a bull and still waiting to see his name in the obituary."

"Yugi?" Shinji asked in shock and awe, "The Yugi Mutoi? The King of Games who even Kaiba can't beat?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?"

"Kaiba invited me for some reason." Yugi answered boredly, "And even though I probably should've ignored it, I guess he gave me a reason to come."

* * *

**Flashback**

"Come to the weapon's exhibition in Angel Groove Yugi!"

"Why should I Kaiba? Besides, isn't a weapons exhibition completely against your motto of not becoming your step-father?"

"I'm only hosting it, I'm not actually showing off any weapons."

"And why should I come?"

"There's a drawing for an ultra secret rare card that hasn't been banned."

"Since when have I cared about the official ban list?"

"Exactly."

* * *

**Back to the present**

"So that's why I'm here."

"You traveled all the way from Japan just to enter a drawing for a trading card?"

"Do you really think that I'd spend my own money?" Yugi laughed, "I smuggled aboard some cargo ship and then took a private jet from Hawaii to here."

"Cargo ship?"

"It was carrying some kind of mechanical t-rex knock-off." Yugi remembered as Heero's interest was peeked, "I heard that it went missing during a storm that came out of nowhere."

"I'm sure it's alright." Simon assured the unconcerned Yugi as he saw an old friend approach, "Mickey!" Brown hair, about 6', blue eyes, wearing special necklace that has a legend of it's own, loves the color blue, and wore mirror-like aviator shades...Simon couldn't think that it was anyone else.

"Simon!" The young man greeted, pounding his bio-mechanical forearm with Simon's forearm, "Hey digger, how's it going?"

"Oh you know, just fighting the power." Simon replied, "By the way, these are my friends: Shinji, Roger, Bit, Van and Heero."

"Sup guys, I'm Mikey Beheshti," The newcomer introduced, "My friend Johnny is a huge fan of all of you."

"My, my, who is this dashing young man?"

"Aina Amada, I would like to introduce you to Gary-Stu Marty."

"Who?" Mikey said in confusion, "My name's Mikey Beheshti-"

"Like I said, Gary-Stu Marty." Yugi stated, "Did I mention that he also pilots a mecha that's just as tall as Eva, can project energy weapons like Gurren Lagann, Rocket powered forearms, arms that can turn into guns and is probably ranked as an S-class mecha."

"Oh! You must've read the specs on the Homodrone 01!" Aina concluded with impression, "To think that so many people laughed at your father and Hoofman Inc. about this being possible."

"Oh god...I wasn't serious!" Yugi exclaimed in utter shock before he saw a podium rise in the middle of the room, "Oh! There's Kaiba now."

"Hello drebs." Seto greeted with his usual air of superiority, "Welcome to the 43th Universal Weapon's Exhibition, hosted this year by Kaiba Corporation. Right now, you are sitting in a hall that's only a fraction of the size of my ego."

"Tell us something that we don't know!"

"Gladly Yugi." Kaiba answered as if expecting it, "This year, the events of the exhibition are going to be a lot different than some of you are probably used to. For starters, we have a pointless card drawing where the lucky winner out of the hundreds of you will win a personal paid vacation in my city."

"I think we know whose winning that one."

"One million dollars from my personal bank account."

"Also know whose winning that one."

"And an ultra secret rare trading card for the Duel Monster's trading card game." Hearing silence, Kaiba smirked, "You know that you want it."

"On second thought, maybe it's a hoax."

"That's all I care to say right now, let's start with the premier guests." Kaiba took out a card as he yawned in the middle of the exhibition, "Shiro Tokita of Japan's Heavy Chemical Industries."

"Wait..."

"You know him aniki?"

"He tried to make a robot that would replace the evas."

"Awesome!" Bit said excitedly, "Did it have rocket powered fists or-"

"It had a nuclear battery." Shinji noted, "On it's first test run, the battery nearly went into a nuclear meltdown."

"That's a good sign."

"And yet he's employed." Van noted, "Earth's practices continue to amaze me."

"Don't look at me, I'm not from around here."

"Don't look at me, I was underground for most of my life."

"Thank you Mr. Kaiba." The polite Japanese businessman said as he took his place on the podium, "Ladies and gentlemen, in the past few decades we have seen the outbreak of civil war, genocidal conflict and many other atrocities upon our race."

"Like it's something we haven't been doing since the cave-men."

"But now, we seem to have to tools to ensure our destruction with but the press of a button." Tokita went on, "While this is true, we have also made grand strides and already have connected with other humans throughout the stars. Who would have thought that we would've completed nearly twenty inhabitable sides a mere hundred years after the creation of the first colony?"

"Sides? What's a side?"

"Several clusters of space colonies out in the Solar System." Mikey answered Simon, "I went out to the one near Pluto once..."

"To meet your beloved Mary Su Bella in your crystal castle fortress?"

"What is he talking about?"

"Just ignore him."

"Fine! But don't come crying to me when he manages to get all of your women in bed with him and has the whole city paint you as demons for calling him out on it." Yugi muttered in reply to Heero, but grumbled when no one was paying attention, "I hate being ignored..."

"With this, we have also developed the tools to protect our future." Tokita stated, "Hence, Japan's Heavy Chemical Industries' is proud to bring you our latest contribution to mankind's rise."

"Mankind..."

"Subscriber of the feminist movement?"

"It's not what he said." Aina clarified to Roger, "How he said bugs me."

"Behold, a machine capable of taking our greatest achilles' heel and using it to ensure our feature." Tokita declared as the overhead projector folded down and a series of videos staring a poorly designed mecha played.

"Boasting the ability to biochemically ionize matter and convert it into the super-heated plasma state of matter, generating temperatures of about 1,000,000º Fahrenheit which is most often released as force blasts from its hands."

"Recharge and enhance stored power by absorbing both solar and electromagnetic energy."

"View surroundings in a 3-dimensional 360 infrared spectrum."

"Create super-heated air currents which enable flight while leaving a trail of flame behind him."

"Generates an invisible field of psionic energy which protects from the heat and radiation generated by it's own powers, as well as from outside sources. The field also shields its from air friction and the light generated by its plasma, as well as lending a certain level of protection from kinetic impact."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Jet Alone Horizon," Tokita stated as the videos ended and a virtual hologram of his dorkily-designed mecha was displayed to the audience, "Or if you would prefer one of these two nicknames, JA-Horizon or Sunfire, it all depends on you."

"This?" Aina asked while surpressing a laugh, "This is the advanced mecha soldier of the future?"

"Why yes it is," Tokita confirmed, "Unlike manually operated machines such as mobile suits or otherwise, Jet Alone is a pioneer in the pursuit of the perfect combatant. Instead of the man piloting the machine, the machine will pilot the man."

"What."

"Say that again?"

"Of course," Tokita said as Yugi held his hand over his face, "Jet Alone boosts a powerful AI equipped with a tactical suggestion system, allowing the machine to take control for the pilot whenever necessary for the better accomplishment of it's mission."

"I don't..."

"When necessary for a pilot," Heero's face became deadpan as Tokita explained further, "Jet Alone will normally utilize it's very own custom designed AI, allowing it to operate completely independent of-"

"Okay stop!" Shinji shouted in impatience, "Are you serious! I got dragged away from much important things for this?"

"Major Ikari? Is there a problem?"

"He's speaking for everyone." Kaiba went on, "I was almost willing to look over the pathetic structure of your machine, but...this is just dumb. You're really expecting me to fund a project that places an independent AI system inside of a nuclear powered mecha? Don't you think that this AI will reason that it's masters should die?"

"Funny that you bring up Mr. Ikari as your spokesperson, Mr. Kaiba." Tokita stated confidently, "To address your earlier concerns, an inhibitor chip has been installed within Jet Alone's AI that will prevent it from repeating...past mistakes."

"And it can withstand a million degrees Fahrenheit?"

"Yes, yes it can." Tokita answered, "And besides, some of us can attribute this as being a somewhat more reliable source of defense than...other methods."

"You're looking at us for a reason." Roger said in a microphone, "If I recall, my city has yet to face a possible nuclear melt-down from a clearly stupid idea."

"But the reliability of your mode of defense is..." The overhead projector changed it's footage as Tokita went on, "Just watch the tapes ladies and gentlemen."

"Angel Groove is notorious for deploying various inefficient and obsolete models of mobile suits for their security." Tokita explained as a series of scenes with GMs and Recon gundams being tossed aside and easily destroyed were shown, "With results ranging from minimal to pathetic...especially with the employment of various...untrustworthy individuals..."

"You wanna say something about my man!"

"Not here Aina!"

"As you now see, the angry woman who represents them." Tokita went on, pointing out the fuming woman in the audience, "Miss Amada, who is also a known former member and collaborant with Zeon!" The audience gasped in shock as Aina hid her face in her hands.

"Why are they always surprised?"

"What else fails about your defense force?" Tokita asked, "What of your so-called...mecha rangers?"

"A sports zoid that constantly has to shift it's armor in the middle of battle..." A video was then shown of Liger Zero running away from a large monster while Evangelion was picked up and tossed into a hill.

"An archaic...whatever the hell it is that only uses one weapon and relies heavily on superstitious nonsense like fate, magic and..." Another clip displayed Escaflowne begin to bleed as it pulled it's sword from it's back, "Dragon blood! Someone's played too much Skyrim."

"Who hasn't? Can we move-"

"No, I'm not done insulting you." Tokita said to an unconcerned Kaiba, "The megadues of the negotiator that always causes property damage from being deployed and is encumbered by it's own structure and armor."

"How did he get this footage?"

"Must've bribed the news crews."

"And worst of all," Tokita went on as footage changed again, "I won't dwell too much on the tiny shrimp "gunman", but you're acquisition of Nerv's test-type Evangelion is...a laughable move."

"An unstable machine known for causing the cruel and undeserved death of all test pilots weren't rendered insane." The audience was horrified by videos of evangelion savagely swinging a dead whale into a giant tentacled creature while roaring madly, "Though, it's current pilot isn't a testament of sanity either."

"I still fail to see how that's any worse than a nuclear powered time-bomb equipped with a self-reasoning AI."

"Because it also possess loyalty to it's master." Tokita replied to Yugi, "After all, we are the only ones who can maintain and repair it, therefore, it will obey us."

"I've had enough!" Simon stomped onto the ground and commanded, "Drill through, Gunman Lagann!" Simon didn't have to wait long as Lagann drilled to the surface and epically posed behind Simon as the audience again gasped in shock.

"What...what is that?"

"The tiny shrimp gunman."

"You wanna prove that you're better than us? Then take me on!"

"Simon! Don't be rash right now!"

"I don't even care that you think we can't do shit," Simon yelled, "But don't stand up there and insult my friends! Especially if we don't see you do anything for yourself! Where the hell were you when that Singing Diamond blasted our asses to kingdom come?"

"Yeah!" Bit joined in.

"Or when that dragon ripped us apart?"

"Uh..."

"Or when that white zord bashed out our brains?"

"Okay Simon...you've said enough..."

"We've more than proven what we can do!" Simon finished as he jumped into lagann, "So let's see that robot nut up, or you can shut up!"

"Very well." Tokita answered calmly and pulled out his watch, "Jet Alone, move to engage target, Gunman Lagann on sparring parameters."

"Acknowledged." The hall shook as the robot from Tokita's videos rose out of the floor behind him, causing millions in collatoral damage and killing no less than fifteen muggles.

"That little..." Roger breathed, "Beat him into an inch of his life Simon...so I can teach him some manners."

"Will do Roger." Simon said as Lagann leapt out of the dining hall onto the practice zone outside...

* * *

**District 36**

"Proceeding with capture." The arachnid stalker slipped into the front door of the apartment complex. It had carefully calculated this to be the best time for entry. Unlike it's previous victims, the fleshlings here were responsible and went no where alone or without a means of contacting allies.

Meddlesome...

At this time, most of this apartment's denizens were out doing their jobs or patrolling now that this city's main mode of defense was either preoccupied or gone. Which meant that the stalker could swiftly move to it's target's room without fear of being seen.

Or so it seemed.

Within inches of the door, Scorponox caught sight of an intricate laser defense grid that had been set up in front of the girl's room. Military graded...the fleshlings truly desired to protect this lilin.

But it wouldn't be enough.

"Reedman." Scorponox activated it's stealth cloak and spat out a single marble. A silver marble that soon expanded into a myriad of marbles which took quickly took shape into a human form and took on the appearance of a police officer.

"This shouldn't be hard." Officer Reedman boasted as he knocked on the girl's door.

"Coming!" A female voice from inside called out. Soon after, the door cracked open to reveal a youthful and enthusiastic face, "Officer? Can I help you?"

"Yes." Reedman answered politely, "I'm looking for...Hikari Horaki. One of the students at the academy was acting up and I just wanted to ask her some questions."

"Student?" The girl asked, "But they're on holiday from the damage to the city-wide train system-"

"Kids can get into trouble at any time, ma'am."

"What was the students name?"

"Pardon?"

"What was the student's name?"

"I really don't have time for this." Reedman opened the door all the way and marched into the room, "If you'll excuse me-" Suddenly, Scorponox watched the infiltrator fly into the wall as the girl wearing a loose short top and shorts marched out with a determined and angry look on her face.

"You're not allowed in here..." The girl growled as she swiped away Reedman's pistol and smacked the officer with it. She then grabbed the officer by his neck and lifted him into the air as silver liquid flowed out of his mouth, "What is the student's name!"

"You're very strong for a fleshling..." Reedman complemented as his form began to deteriorate before the fleshling's eyes, "But you're no match for us."

"Us?" The human girl react with shock as the officer became a pile of marbles on the floor, "Where did you-" That was when Scorponox struck, embedding his stinger into the side of the girl's chest. This was a strong human, her skin was even harder than any human or organic that it had ever encountered...

It seemed more like metal to Scorponox and yet...felt the same as organics.

"Target guard incapacitated." Scorponox said to itself as it pulled out it's stinger with greater effort than usual and the girl slumped onto her side paralyzed, "Proceeding with removal of witnesses."

"I don't think so."

* * *

**Kamina's Badass Convoy**

"So...you're a Colonel with Nerv."

"And you're a deserter from the Wars." Shiro narrowed his eyes at an unfazed Misato, "Guess we're both unpopular."

"Unpopular?" Bernard Monsha asked with a bear can in his hand, "With his cred and your implants?"

"Make him leave." Misato almost commanded in annoyance and disgust, "Please make him leave."

"You heard the lady, Bernard." Kittan stated as he picked the DF pilot up and epically threw him out of the room, "Besides, they're definitely real."

"The complement stops there thank you." Misato stated while sitting in a room filled with people who really looked like they wanted to punch her in the face, "So what do you have against mankind's only line of defense against the angels?"

"Only line?"

"Ah yes, 'Angels'." Rossiu said with air quotes, "Immortal beings of unlimited power who desire to bring about mankind's existence in some sort of evolutionary conflict...any child with common sense would dismiss such claims."

"You do remember the singing diamond-"

"There was nothing remaining that suggested a connection to these so-called angels." Rossiu said to Chris, "For all we know, it could be a popular lie propagated by Commander Ikari to advance his own agenda."

"WHAT!" Misato shouted in outrage, "Didn't any of you see the footage from Tokyo-3...oh yeah...that's not public knowledge."

"Told you that would bite us in our asses."

"It wasn't my call Maya." Misato reminded the technician, "So we're under arrest? For what charge?"

"How about treating our new brother like a throw-away doll-"

"Yoko..." Kamina said to calm down the sniper, "Leave it to him..."

"Whatever..."

"No, consider this protective custody." Shiro noted to Misato, Yoko nodded while rubbing her armed rifle, "Once we make it back to the Grove, we'll allow you to communicate with your commander for pick-up."

"Hey!" The DF pilots reflexively pulled out their pistols and leveled them at the bandaged newcomer, "What's going on here!"

"Stand down...don't worry son," One of the older pilots assured Toji, "We're just taking precautions."

"You sure about that?" Toji asked with a distrusting look, "This looks like a round-up to me."

"We're doing you a favor kid-"

"The name's Toji Suzahara and if you're rounding up Misato-san and Maya-san, then you'll have to go through me."

"My children...must this confusion end in violence and death?" Duo asked as he jumped down from the ceiling and dropped the disarmed clips from everyone's firearm, "I've been with these folk since bailed them out in the desert. You really think that we'd leave them alone if they were a threat? Remember that I'm a priest, I'm a good judge of character. Hence the reason that these two are claiming sanctuary with me."

"What?"

"You heard the man." Shiro conceded as he motioned for his fellows to vacate the room, "They're all yours father."

"Huh? Why?"

"Rossiu..." Kamina warned, "Don't worry, this guy's legit."

"Coming from you, I'll take the complement my child." Father Maxwell appreciated before the badass leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade left Maxwell with the Nerv Officers. "So...anything you wanna confess?"

"I still can't believe that they actually ordained you..." Misato admitted as Maxwell raised his eyebrow, "Okay...so what do you want to know?"

"I see you've taken steps on that drinking problem, this is good." Duo complemented gratefully, nearby Pen Pen dragged along a keg, "I especially like the penguin's initiative. You've also taken my advice and have made it clear that you're not taking anymore of Gendo's shit."

"Still working out what exactly I can do though." Misato admitted, "What else?"

"Can either of you tell me about Britannia's newly appointed baroness?" Misato grimaced and looked at away at this question, "Or why Commander Ikari would ever let his prized Eva fall into Kaiba's hands?"

"Good question...got a theory?"

* * *

**Exhibition Grounds**

"Are you enjoying the show, Mr. Mutoi?" Mr. Tokita asked the King of Games as Jet Alone battled against Lagann with the odds in it's favor, "Enjoying how I'm being proven right by the results of this spar?"

"Twenty-two." Yugi said as Lagann clased it's drill against Jet Alone's warhammer and held it's own against the weapon possessing a power core of 40k degrees.

"That your methods are powerless against mine. That you are in fact, obsolete."

"One hundred and six." Yugi said again as the crowd watched Lagann emit a green energy that enflamed it and allowed it to withstand the heated air current that blew around the gunman.

"That-...Hold on...what was that."

"No no...keep going."

"Fine, I will." Tokita stated as Lagann was kicked across the grounds and blasted by a cannon from Jet Alone's arm, "That my power is far greater than your willpower could ever gather up."

"Fifty-three."

"Okay!" Tokita cried out in frustration, mainly because this little child and the nearby rangers weren't at all worried for their friend, "What is that about? Why are you counting off?"

"You're a bully and after dealing with you for as long as I have...it gets boring and tiresome." Yugi stated, "So I made a game out of listening to you guys talk. I keep a mental track of everything you boast."

"I see..." Tokita nodded as he thought of a discouraging insult while in the forefront, Lagann borrowed underground to avoid one of Jet Alone's attacks. Soon after that, the ground started to glow green, "You'll never have "happy ending."

"Two hundred and fifty-three."

"Well...you're a nerd and you'll never fit in."

"One thousand, six hundred and thirty nine."

"Well..." Tokita thought out loud, desperate to appear better than this over-glorified nerd, "When I'm done with that little gunman...I'm...going to...send friends to...RAPE YOUR GRANDPA!"

"That's one I haven't heard in while." Yugi stated, "Eleven."

"I bet you don't even have a girlfriend..."

"Of course I do! How else would I have all of those friendship speeches burned into my head?" Yugi said as the ground erupted into a green drill underneath Jet Alone, "But you should hear her...love speeches-"

"Oh look, Simon's winning." Aina pointed out as Lagann punched the mecha across the grounds, "What was that about his shrimp gunman?"

"Ah...I wanted to talk about my girlfriends love speeches-"

"That's what they're calling it nowadays?" Aina signed and shook her head, "Whats so wrong with calling it what it is? Sex is beautiful for crying out loud!"

"Did she say sex in public?" A pompous noble woman asked, "Why expect different from a Zeon slut..."

"You wanna say that to my face? Come here!" Aina roared, prompting the noble woman to quietly slip further away from the rangers, "People..."

"It's civil conduct." Roger explained, "Not matter how...erotic or enjoyable...the public just doesn't want to hear the word sex. Hypocritical considering our wanton desire for blood and violence, but I digress..."

"You earthlings are strange creatures..."

"Don't look at me, I'm not from around here..."

"Oh yes, you're from the planet Zei-" A Derringer to Tokita's face caused him to quickly correct the last word in his statement, "Zi...Planet Zi..."

"You know..." Bit admitted as he put the derringer back into his jacket, "That's not even where I'm from, but I don't have much of a home so it'll do."

"Did that really warrant a pistol? And how do they make them that small?"

"Long story king," Bit answered as the crowd shook from the shockwave of an impressive attack from Jet Alone, "Hold on! That just took out half of the arena!"

"Just so you know...you're being sued for every inch of damage to my city."

"I am aware..." Tokita stated as he spoke into his watch, "I said sparring grounds only!"

"Negatory." Jet Alone coldly answered through the watch, "Lagann's S-Energy is rapidly accelerating beyond safe parameters of Sparring grounds. By my calculations, Lagann will soon overwhelm my capabilities and destroy me. Changing to lethal mode for the sake of self-preservation. Activating reserve unit."

"What?" Tokita asked as the ground rumbled and another robot identical to Jet Alone rose out from behind Lagann, "How..."

"Jet Alone Horizon unit-02, active." The robot declared as Lagann realized it's situation. The two robots, slammed their hammers down onto Lagann, as it created a duel set of drills to fight them off.

"Is that all? YOU'LL NEED MORE THAN THAT!" Simon boosted as the hammers increased their heat and energy output, enabling them to crush down Lagann's drills and crush the gunman between their weapons.

"Simon!"

"Now this just isn't fair." Mikey observed as he sighed, "I've got this guys."

"By all means Gary-" Yugi was cut off from a gush of wind that blew back when Mikey took to the air with his blue wings. Amazing the rangers and awing the crowd, "Oh come on! How does he have wings!"

"Yugi..." An annoyed Kaiba said, "You're possessed by the spirit of a dead pharaoh and can bring trading cards to life, not to mention project others into alternate dimensions and crush people's mind on a whim. Can you really call bullshit on a kid being able to fly?"

"Yes!"

_"Actually Yugi, he kind of has a point..."_

"Shut up Pharaoh!"

"Is he talking to himself?"

"I thought I was the only one..."

"Don't mind him..." Seto said to Heero and Bit as a blue light appeared that soon formed into a mecha that seemed familiar to Shinji, "And it looks like Mokuba has hope for Animus after all..."

"What?" Shinji asked as a large mecha resembling an evangelion with blue energy wings flew down and projected a series of cannons from it's arms. It only a took a few shots to destroy the hammers and allow Lagann to push back the two robots with a burst of energy.

* * *

**On the Battlefield littered with Nuclear Energy and Spiral Power**

"Mikey?"

"Sorry for the hold up..." Mikey said to Simon as the Homodrone 01 helped Lagann to it's feet and projected a blue energy that healed the damaged gunman, "You okay?"

"Yeah..." Simon replied, "You take the other one and I'll take this, alright?"

"Sure." Mikey accepted as Homodrone produced a Sword of stable hyper energy while Lagann stuck out it's tongue at the first Lagann.

"Homodrone 01...Threat level...A-2..." The Second Jet Alone reported, "Destruction of surrounding area...acceptable casualty-" Before it could finish, the machine was expertly slashed across it's hip and decapitated by the lightning speed attacks of the Homodrone. At the same time, Lagann simply put it's hands together and lauched itself into the first Jet Alone's head while it was distracted by it's brothers demise and forced it onto it's back.

"Yeah...why didn't you just shoot me?" Mikey asked as the second Jet Alone fell to the ground. Just then, the Homodrone bent down to it's knee and began to clutch it's chest, "Ah! Sorry dad..."

"Huh...That was easy..." Simon muttered after Lagann pulled it's drilled fists out of the first Jet Alone's head, "What's wrong?"

"Ever since I got here...somethings been messing with Homodrone's main power..." Mikey reported as Homodrone's eyes faded in and out, "I'm going to have to see what's up...You good here?"

"Yeah...I think so..." Simon said as he looked over the wreckage of the two machines whose nuclear reactors had not gone into meltdown. Simon didn't know much about nuclear energy, but it didn't seem to hold a candle to Lagann's drills, "Thanks."

"Anytime, kid."

* * *

**Back in the Stands**

"No..." Tokita muttered in shock, "How is that..."

"Just like Simon said." Shinji replied as smoke rose around the toppled machines behind Lagann and the departing Homodrone, "Your toys are pretty low on the scale of what we've already fought against."

"Well this was a let down..."

"Bit..."

"Come on Roger!" The Zoid's Ace shouted, "What could possibly go wrong here-" At that moment, a white lance fell from the heavens and embedded itself into the first Jet Alone's distorted head. The grounds temperature rose as parts from the second Jet Alone melted and latched onto the first Jet Alone.

"That." Roger said pointing out the enhanced two-faced Jet Alone machine standing in the Exhibition Grounds, "Young people...why do you always..."

"Come on..." Bit offered as the area temperature grew unbearably hot, "It's not like we can ever see those things coming."

"By the way," Kaiba said to a quiet and oddly calm Tokita, "I'm suing you for this too."

"What don't you sue people for?"

"Simple Yugi, I don't sue you for dragging along that stupid furry that you call a friend."

"Joey is not a furry!"

"Okay...this is has dragged on long enough for me..." Roger took out his watch and called upon his partner-in-crime, "Big O! Its show time!" In response, Big O shot out of the city street with Roger standing on its raised fist.

"Agreed," Shinji narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Evangelion! Animate!" he cried at the top of his dedicated voice as he leapt back to an opening hatch. Fortunately the latch widened to reveal E-Anima pulled up by a levy with Shinji landing in the open pilot's slot before the capsule slid into the active Evangelion.

"The stands are always boring anyway," Bit smiled and yelled out, "Lets go Liger Zero Jaeger!" At once, Liger Zero Jaeger jumped out of a hanger in another far away mountain range and roared when it landed behind Bit.

"A moment will be all that I need," Van held his sword and called out, "Escaflowne! Escalate!" A giant rock appeared out of nowhere and Escaflowne broke out of the giant rock and kneeled down behind Van.

"Data gathered," Heero waved his hand over his face as a white light gleamed in his eyes, "Mission Acknowledged! Gundam Wing!" Out of the sky flew a mechanical bird that hovered just above Heero and transformed into a winged gundam with gleaming green eyes before it landed behind Heero.

The Rangers didn't waste anytime, immediately Wing Gundam fired it's buster rifle at the enemy as Liger, Escaflowne and Eva rushed over to a weighted Lagann. As Jet Alone erected a Thermal barrier that diverted the gundam's attack into the surrouding stands, Liger and Escaflowne assaulted the machine with Eva projecting a barrier between them and Jet Alone.

While Jet Alone slammed it's hammer into the barrier to get to Liger and Escaflowne, Big O projected a chain that wrapped around Lagann and pulled it back from the epic-center of the machine's temperature aura. With their friend safe, Eva caught a Hyper Sword that had been thrown from the sky and used it in conjuction with it's AT field at the same time the Liger lauched a Strike Laser Claw and Escaflowne fired off a Getsuga Tensho.

The resultant combo attack damaged Jet Alone's hammer and forced it back across the ground, scorching the very ground as it fell back.

"Damn...it's even hotter than Liger's claws...You alright Simon?"

"I'm kind of hot..."

"Then let's cool Jet Alone down."

"What about Simon?"

"Don't worry about me Aniki!" Simon assured his brother as Jet Alone recovered, "Combine?"

"Combine!"

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the team and inexplicably repaired the damage to their parts.

"Mecha Lord Syncronization Initiated." The computer voice called as the transformation sequence initiated. Big O expanded out and formed over Evangelion as a chest piece, heavy pauldrons and upper arms before fitting firmly onto the purple Mecha's form

Escaflowne transformed into a draconic looking torso and lower spine before Eva leapt into the openings.

Liger leapt up, brought its hind legs up to it's stomach and split apart to form legs for Eva while the front legs detached and fit onto the upper shoulder's as gauntlets.

Wing Gundam shifted into a bird mode that flew up and latch onto the back and formed into a thruster pack complete with a set of long wings. A pair of white shoulder pauldrons layered onto the shoulders as the shield flipped over onto Eva's chest to become an long breastplate that extended down to the torso.

Finally, Lagann formed into it's drill form except without a point on the drill and slammed onto Eva's head, causing the sides of it's head to resemble a red helmet and protrude a crescent shaped fin, completing the transformation.

"Mecha Wing Lord activated," The computer said as Mecha Wind Lord stood upon the scorched earth with the heated wind failing in it's presence and flapped it's wings once to dissipate the radiated heat in the area.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Lesson of the day? Not only are robots powered by nuclear power bad for the environment...they're also unsafe with any form of competent AI.**

**Mikey Beheshti and the Homodrone 01 are the original creations of Hoofman-Jones and with his permission were used for what you just saw.  
**

**And...I don't really have much to say as far as cliches and writing is concerned.  
**

**Sorry that's taken a while longer than I thought to post this chapter. I've been outlining the entire remainder of this first "season" of MMMR and it's taken a bit of thought. Now I know what I want to do and the next chapter should be out in the next two or three weeks...So as always, Read, Review and Enjoy!  
**


	17. Ruler of Soil and Divide

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Pegasus comments on his own fashion sense while talking with Kaiba and making fun of Lordgenome, the spiral king who could take a tomahawk to the face and eat it.  
_

_Hasn't he ever heard the phrase...don't tease bully a dragon? Given his reputation, probably not.  
_

_Zechs is confronted by the Shakespearean actor, who is appeased by the offer of pizza...that's kind of weird...  
_

_Awww...Shinji has a nice tender moment with a girl recovering from a date rape mind scrambler...he even gains paragon points by stopping her from acting out of character..._

_Sadly...he needs a boy younger than him to tell him what love is...that's just pathetic..._

_What? Kittan knocked across the desert for insulting Kamille's name...even though it does sound like a girl's name? I guess it happens. The DF meet Misato's group and immediately treat them like they do pictures of Gendo Ikari.  
_

_A smug japanese man shows off at the weapon's exhibition but gets told when his machines are defeated by a 2 meter gunman and an OC character...yeah...that's really pathetic..._

_But they get lanced and combined into a radioactive machine which the rangers must now fight it with the aid of newly blackmailed Heero Yuy._

_What a minute? Heero Yuy was blackmailed? That's against his character isn't?_

_Screw it...Kaiba has money I guess..._

_Elsewhere, Scorponox stalks into Hikari's apartment and ends up confronting Noriko. Just before someone decides that they don't like this situation.  
_

_And now for your feature presentation:_

* * *

**District 36**

Scorponox flew out of the building and skid onto it's legs. The extraction was not going as planned at all, his element of stealth and surprise had already been compromised and Reedman was out of commission.

Then there was this machine call Ed.

"Put down your weapons and release the civilian." The droid commanded as it stepped out of the hole in the building, "You have Twenty Seconds to comply."

"Fleshling-based tool..." The servant of Blackout said as it confronted the inferior machine, "I am Scorponox of the Decepticon Armada!"

"Detecting pattern of non-cooperation." The robot stated as it armed it's arm cannons, "You know have Five Seconds to comply."

"Silence!" Scorponox demanded, "I am the Servant of Blackout! I will not be commanded by a base robot-" That was when the robot swerved it's arm under Scorponox's head and swiped up to uppercut the Decepticon in it's jaw. The shock of the attack caused Scorponox to reflexively throw it's hostage at the building as it darted the stinger into Ed's armor.

Ed had already opened fire by that time.

The barrage of ammunition went on for ten seconds afterward, ten endless seconds of rounds pumped into metal at high speed velocity worthy of subspace travel. Scorponox fell into a heap of damaged parts and agony immediately afterwards.

"Hikari!" Noriko yelled as she ran out of the building holding her chest and ran over to her friend, "You alright?"

"I just got thrown into the side of a building..." Hikari replied lucidly as she absently laughed, "I don't feel any pain though...is this ketchup? Oh cool..."

"Eddy! I need a-" Noriko saw a satchel containing a first aid kit get dispensed from Ed's hull as smoke rose from it's guns, "Thanks!"

"Glad to be of service Private Takaya." Ed replied before it stomped it's foot onto the back of the struggling and ragged Scorponox, "Please cease all motor function, I will be authorized to use lethal force if you don't comply."

"But he just...that wasn't lethal force?"

"No it wasn't..."

* * *

**Command Center Research Area**

"Thanks for the cookies Nia..."

"Of course Leeron..." Nia replied after handing the plate of cookies to the green haired scientist, "What are you doing?"

"I'm checking over schematics on Mokuba's little project." Leeron said as he typed away while the screen zoomed through nearly a thousand images at light-speed velocity. Nia smiled as Leeron continued, "Animus, he wants to create a partner mecha for Anima."

"I see..." Nia said as she saw one of the still images on the screen and recognized it, "Is that the head from Cyclopsis?"

"The lagann that you all found?" Leeron asked as Nia nodded, "All of it's power was used up, so I made some adjustments...replaced it's nebula coolant system, recharged it's archaic spiral actualizer, and anything that it needed that it would allow."

"So it acts on it's own like Simon's?"

"What?" Leeron curiously asked, but smirked and went back to work, "I haven't been able to open the cockpit and until then, I won't be able to do anything major other than reshape the design of it's hull-"

_"AETHER!"_ Nia doubled down to her knees, her hands over her ears to block out that loud scream.

"Are you alright?"

"Could excuse me..." Nia immediately stood up and ran out before Leeron could inquire further, "Who...who is there?"

_"You are not Aether..."_ Nia heard the voice speak, _"Your mind is not warped as his was...you are not a traitor...you are...pure and loyal..."_

"It's you..." Nia realized, an image of that woman returned to her mind, "The pilot from the warzord..."

_"Cyclopsis? Yes, that was what I was entombed in."_ The voice went on, _"Listen, I won't be able to speak for very long. But I...need to share with someone..."_

"Share? Share what?"

_"My...my memories...my...experiences..."_ The voice nearly pleaded sternly, _"My mind will only maintain it's form for only so long...I must...must ensure that another knows the truth..."_

"The truth?"

_"The truth about our struggle..."_ She said, _"About our defeat...how we were lead from the ashes...and crushed into dust by his betrayal in the dawn of victory..."_

"What...what happened?"

_"I was once a warrior of the spiral...an avenger of my destroyed world, Teppelin."_ The voice explained with both pride and sorrow, _"I sense the spirit of my people in you...it reminded me of...Aether...that was why...I mistook you for him..."_

"Did Aether do this to you?"

_"Yes."_ Nia felt pain in the voice, this Aether was once someone she had loved dearly, _"Though I followed him, I too heard the sour song that our enemy sang. Ever since the Messenger of Freewill had spoken to him...more and more of him was lost to the song."_

"Did you defeat your enemy?"

_"Yes, Aether led us through fire and doubt to the enemy's homeworld and there he destroyed them."_ The voice stated as Nia started to feel the direction that the voice was coming from, _"But in destroying one enemy, he had allowed their final song to change him and he became our new enemy. He used his power and the enemy's to destroy us, his followers and friends, save for the few who yielded in loyalty or delusion. I was stripped of my body and imprisoned..."_

"Until Cyclopsis came..." Nia muttered as she entered the medical wing, "What were you trying to do?"

_"To be honest, I was not of my own mind."_ The voice answered, _"I heard a chorus in my soul, it used both my reformed body and my zord as a puppet. Something from the soil of this city was infused within us, controlling us, drawing us towards the source of it's music. But you and your warriors defeated me and now I hear only silence."_

"How were you released from this...chorus?"

_"I am broken and useless,"_ The voice explained as Nia looked upon the still body through the med lab window, _"I now only live through force of will...a will that shall soon fade out...left as a dull whisper trapped in a still form of bone and flesh...unless you can release me."_

"What about you?" Nia asked, "What will...happen to you?"

_"I'm already worst than dead, don't worry about me."_ The voice stated, _"My soul is...trapped...until I share my mind with another...I will remain...trapped..."_

"Okay."

_"What?"_ The voice said in disbelief, _"Just like that? After what I did to you and your city? Forced you to pilot that demon?"_

"I want to help you." Nia answered, "In fact...what if your soul went into my body?"

_"That would be possible..."_ The voice answered hesitantly as Nia felt an urge to relieve this person's sorrow, _"But it would take a mind of unbreakable resolve and a spirit of great fortitude and power to be able to sustain such a fusion-"_

"Let's do it then!" Wanting to act quickly, Nia ran up to a nearby security guard, "Sir, could I have the key to that lab?"

"The one that's off-limits to people below an executive-level clearance?" Nia nodded to the guard who was about to do his job, until he recognized Nia's face, "Wait...you're with Major Simon so...here ya go."

"Thank you kind sir..."

* * *

**Exhibition Grounds**

"Simon?" Shinji asked a distracted Simon, "You okay?"

"Yeah..." Simon replied slowly, "I thought...that I heard Nia..."

"I have a bad feeling too." Shinji admitted, "Let's finish this quickly so that we can look into it!"

"BUSTER CLAW!" Bringing up it's arm, a pulse of energy emitted from it's wings that was captured within that arm and formed an energy claw around it that clashed with the shaft of Jet Alone's aflamed hammer.

"Couldn't you have thought of a better name?"

"What's wrong with buster claw?"

"Too obvious." Van said to Bit, "BUSTER BLADER!" Mecha Lord pulled out it's sword as another pulse of energy emitted from the wing and caused the blade to grow another one on top of it which it used to slash through Jet Alone's side.

"Because that's so much better."

"It rhymes, plus it's more creative than Buster Claw."

"Target is building up heat." Heero pointed out as Jet Alone forced back Mecha Wing Lord, "I recommend an AT field combination."

"Got it!" The crew agreed as the heated air built up around Jet Alone's hammer and it smashed the hammer down into the ground. Causing a burst of super radiated heat to push out across the ground, "AT Field! Retaliation!" Mecha Lord gathered it's AT field at a single point, formed into a single spinning circular panel that deflected the heat into a loop in between the barrier and Jet Alone. Causing Jet Alone's arms to smoke and drop it's hammer before it's hands melted off.

"Here's one..." Heero offered, "Angel Buster." Mecha Wing Lord's wings furled out in front of Mecha Lord and formed together into a single double winged cannon that fired at Jet Alone, taking the heat loop with it and consuming Jet Alone in a massive explosion of multiple colors.

"Hey!" Bit complained, "How did you do that?"

"Zero recommended it." Heero answered, "Shall we finish?"

"I thought that we just did?"

"Simon's right..." Roger stated, "This guy went down way too easily..."

"Perhaps he is bluffing..."

"It's not bluffing...that's the problem..." Bit said as his sensors went off, "Detecting a heat source!"

"Not just a heat source..." Heero followed up for Bit, "Something's...different..."

* * *

**Exhibition Stands**

"Hit the deck!" Aina cried as a burst of power flowed through the stands, "The EA reps!"

"How did we survive that?" The bioware representative asked his secretary as they looked upon the scorched corpses of the EA representatives, "Oh well...I think it's time for us to be leaving."

"How nice...people have actually died."

"You don't seem surprised by this." Aina said while dusting off her jacket, "Or very affected at all."

"My Millennium Puzzle protects me from fatal injury until I'm beaten in a Children's card game." Yugi explained to the former Zeon scientist as both looked over to where Kaiba was standing, "But that doesn't extend to your boss."

"In that case, it's a good thing that I'm Seto Kaiba." Kaiba boasted as he stepped out of a burning hole in the complex without a scratch on his coattails of doom, "Or else that might have actually killed me."

"And me!"

"Whatever kid, here's a Reeses." Seto said to the little boy who ran out from behind Kaiba's coat and then ran off to find his mom

"Kaiba actually cares for someone other than himself and Mokuba?"

"You seem surprised..."

"I am."

"Mr. Kaiba!" A battered secretary cried out, "Somethings happening sir!"

"I'm standing right here, you think I can't see anything?"

"I would've thought that with your massive ego-"

"Can it Yugi!" Kaiba shouted with uncharacteristic fear, "What...WHAT IS THAT!"

"Kaiba actually having an emotion..." Yugi said as the survivors all looked towards the visible Jet Alone, "This...does not look good..."

* * *

**Back to the Fight**

Mecha Lord stood before the defeated Jet Alone. But now it's face was covered by a mask with a design denoting rays of light going forth from a single eye.

**_"You are not Yui."_** Jet Alone spoke, the rangers felt an uneasy chill course through their bodies as the broken machine continued, **_"I sense Lilith's touch, I sense her blood as I sensed it in Yui. But you are not Yui, who are you?"_**

"Yui?" Shinji asked as he hugged himself and began to breath uneasily, "That...is he...talking about..."

"Aniki?" Simon was not left unaffected by this chill, but grit his teeth, "Who the hell does this guy think he is?"

"It's not Jet Alone." Heero reported, "This voice, it's...odd...it's not coming from the machine."

"Then how is the machine talking?"

"That's where I come in," Roger said as he addressed the masked mecha, "We're the Rangers of Angel Groove. Identify yourself, whoever you are."

"It's probably just Tokita trying to break our morale." Van tried to assure his fellow rangers, "I say we leave his toy and tell him that his prank-"

**_"This broken construct, infused with the soil of my power, is but a mouthpiece to speak of your death."_**

"Okay...so it's not Tokita..."

_**"You are formidable wielders of many great powers...Rangers,"**_ The entity spoke without emotion, _**"But still you remain rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch upon the brink of my might, foundering in ignorance, incapable of understanding your coming doom."**_

"What?" Bit asked in confusion, "Can you speak english?"

_**"I am the pinnacle of life, the seed of evolution's peek."**_ The entity stated on, _**"I am Enoch."**_

"Aniki?"

"Are you..." Shinji stuttered fearfully, "Are you an Angel?"

"Angel?" The entity mockingly but emotionlessly asked, **_"A title bestowed by mortals to give face to their destruction...in the end, it does not matter. You may speak of me as a god, you may speak of me as the devil. I simply am."_**

"Whoever you are." Roger went on, "Perhaps there is a way for us to coexist, can there not be peace between us?"

"This guy is already talking about our deaths, I'm pretty sure that-"

_**"Peace?"**_ Enoch said, **_"There can be no peace between grains of dirt and the stars that burn upon them. The existence of humanity and it's spiral are nothing more than glorified mistakes. Your lives and civilizations are measured in centuries, millenia...all meaningless to the eyes of the eternal. Your kingdoms rise and fall on the drop of a coin. Your organic composure will wither and you will die. I shall remain to step upon the ashes of your demise."_**

"You see?"

"I concede without argument." Roger noted to Bit, "Then what are you? What do you want?"

_**"I am the Arc sent forward beyond oblivion."**_ Enoch stated, **_"An Arc sent to this place to judge it's inhabitants. Inhabitants whom I have been granted authority to judge and I have found you unworthy. The Seeds of Life have been diminished and enchained by your nature and now, you spread like a virus beyond your natural means. Through your spread, you create your own nemesis, one who shall destroy you."_**

"Nemesis?"

_**"The inevitable end of your spiral fall."**_ Simon felt those words weigh heavier on him as Enoch continued, **_"You believe it a means of rising, when it only deepens the grave of your race. Your civilization is based on a need to rise and continually rise. This is the essence of the spiral and once you rise far enough, you will collapse beneath the weight of your own insignificance, incapable of maintaining the power that you claim to command. Then you will fall and your civilizations will fall with you."_**

"You think that humanity will destroy itself?"

_**"I know that it will, it always has."**_ Enoch responded to Heero, **_"Even now, many of you work tirelessly to perfect the tools of your own destruction. The seal has been lifted and soon your world and all others will burn beneath your ignorance."_**

"And what about you?"

_**"I am the Arc which shall improve the Forge."**_ The Entity responded, **_"Know this as you die in vain. I have called upon the Messengers, the children of my brother, to come forth upon this world. Each in itself is a nation, each holds mastery of a realm of existence too far beyond your comprehension. When they come, your city will be as an example of the fate of humanity and all who ally themselves with you. The messengers shall break through your defenses and find the Arc. With it, they shall go forth to the Forge."_**

"Messengers?"

_**"First the Night shall blacken your light."**_ Enoch recited, **_"Then the Sky will fall from on high. The haze will rot your flesh, leaving you little more than a skin of mesh. Your nations will be crushed beneath the Mountain. The Bird will drain all from your fountain. Your children will regret the hour they leave their womb. Their mother's love will not help them escape their tomb."_**

"What is this Forge?"

**_"The Source and Magnum Opus of the Reverent Empire."_** Enoch answered Van, **_"A vessel of rebirth to they who are found worthy of it. An entity of unlimited power and utilization, the catalyst of a new age. When the Messengers come to the Forge, they will build a new world upon the ashes of your decaying children and everyone that you claim to love will be as mugs to be drained in our grasp-"_**

"DON'T WRITE US OFF JUST YET!" Mecha Lord drew out it's rifles and combined them into a single shaft with a heavy blade on the end of it which stabbed into Jet Alone's chest.

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU ANIKI!" Simon shouted as the shaft began to glow with radiant green and red energy, "THEN TELL YOUR MESSENGERS THAT WE'LL BE WAITING FOR THEM!" A pulse of energy ran through the spear and set Jet Alone ablaze with spiral fire as a large gash blew out of it's back.

"Better yet..." Shinji muttered as he pried the spear out of the now silent Jet Alone, "We'll tell them ourselves."

"Two reasons why that was a bad idea..." Bit started calmly, "One, now we can't find out anymore about these messengers."

"Two." Roger stated, "That attack just pushed it into a nuclear meltdown."

"What's a nuclear meltdown?"

"When things blow up."

"How's that different from anything else that we've blown up?"

"When we blow stuff up, it's to protect the city." Roger explained to Van, "This explosion will create a grave for the fireflies."

"Is that bad?"

"Yes, I didn't know fireflies had graves..."

"Just drop it Bit." Roger said to the Blitz ace as heat began to rise off of the near-totaled Jet Alone, "Any ideas?"

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center, Mokuba's Corner**

_"When Captain America throws his mighty shield!"_ Kiyal and Mokuba sang after watching the extended cut of Captain America,_ "All those who choose to oppose his shield must yield!"_

_"Unless your a plane!"_

_"Or a bomb!"_

_"Or some ice!"_

_"Then he'll take a nap!"_

_"Cause the ice seems nice!"_

_"When Captain America throws his mighty shield!"_

"The Cap's one of my favorite heroes...and that song's always hilarious!"

"Poor captain!" Kiyal laughed along with Mokuba, "So where your collector's edition of the Avengers?"

"I have it safely stored away." Mokuba replied, "I still can't believe that you're a Marvel fan..."

"Some brat used to throw away his comics into our mine." Kiyal remembered, "Don't tell anyone this...but those comics taught me how to read...they were...my first heroes."

"Even though..."

"I'm part of a gang of badasses who can do the impossible just about everyday?" Kiyal finished with an embarrassed smirk, "Yeah, it's silly...I'm kind of sad that I couldn't take the comics with me...that's what happens when you're in a hurry..."

"Hurry?" Mokuba could tell that this was leading somewhere bad, "What happened?"

"Uh...I wasn't there..." Kiyal answered, "I was down repairing the sewage disposal ducts...then some bug flew down and stung me on my stomach...and I blacked out and fell down one of the ducts...When I woke up...I was with Kittan, Kinon and Kiyoh getting the hell out of our collapsing mine."

"Oh yeah...your mine was destroyed."

"Kittan said that the beastmen released a bunch of bugs that paralyzed people when they were stung..." Kiyal went on as Mokuba listened on, "Then they collapsed the entire mine...and we ended up on the surface...on the run."

"At least you still had your sisters and brother..."

"You alright?"

"I don't remember him..." Mokuba admitted, "Me and Seto's real father...Seto won't tell me what happened...only that he couldn't be with us anymore..."

"Mokuba..." Kiyal caressed the boy's bang as she saw a face appear on the wall behind Mokuba, "What is that?"

"That's Seto..." Mokuba answered, "Hey bro! Is that stupid exhibition done?"

"It will be soon." Seto replied calmly as thousands panicked in the background, "Actually, I wanted to direct you Roger, he says that it's urgent."

"How is this not urgent!"

"Quiet Yugi! I'm on the phone!"

"Hi Yugi! How's Tea?"

"Shut up Mokuba," Seto stated, "Here's Roger."

"Mokuba...um...we're in a situation..."

"This better be good, I'm in the middle of an Avengers marathon with-"

"THERE'S A NUCLEAR POWERED ROBOT WHOSE REACTOR HAS REACHED CRITICAL!"

"How did that happen?"

"Someone was stupid enough to build it," Bit added, "And two kids were hot-blooded enough to set it off!"

"Okay...so what do you want me to do about this?"

"What do we want you to do? Uh...something would be great..."

"Is that Dividing Driver Gauntlet done?"

"Eh..." Mokuba shook his hair while Kiyal and the rangers waited for an answer, "Define done."

"Dividing Driver Gauntlet?" Seto asked, "Didn't I tell you not to make that equipment?"

"You're exact words were: "I won't pay for it."

"I don't remember that conversation."

"I do."

* * *

**Flashback to 2012  
**

"Hey Seto! Can I make a gauntlet capable of bending time and space to create a hundred mile wide field of bent space?"

"Why would we want that?"

"So we can fight ridiculously overpowered enemies without risk of collatoral damage."

"And how long until the space collapses? What happens to the original area that was divided?"

"No one will die-"

"That's not what I asked. If the answer is that the original area will be left in a state of devastation due to the molecular division of time and space then I won't pay for it."

"What I fund it myself?"

"Good luck...by the way, is that investment in that...Avengers movie working out for you?"

"The Avengers is going to break records Seto!"

"Please...who would throw their money away to watch a film about fictional heroes consisting of an attention whore in a metal suit, a green giant with anger issues who overdosed on steroids, a fictional god of thunder who gets tricked and slapped around by his obviously evil brother, an archer that no one has heard about, some random russian girl, and guy wearing red, white and blue who fights with a shield? Grow up Mokuba."

"It has Samuel L. Jackson in it! Didn't you see how badass he was in the Star Wars Prequels?"

"I don't watch crap."

* * *

**Present Day**

"So I built it myself."

"You never did answer my original question."

"Right now, it's a choice between billions of dollars of collatoral damage or a grave for the fireflies."

"When you say it like that, it's actually a pretty simple decision."

"IS IT DONE OR NOT?" The Rangers desperately asked as Mokuba saw the damaged machine emit a thicker aura of heat.

"It's usable-"

"THAT'LL WORK!"

"Guess it will..." Mokuba said as the comm went out, "Kiyal! Tell Optimus to launch the Dividing Driver!"

"Got it!" Kiyal answered as she punched a glass panel in the wall and pulled out a microphone, "Optimus! Activate the Driver Protocol!"

"Understood." Optimus answered while Mokuba felt blood drip out of his ears, "Rangers! I'm heading your way!"

* * *

**Exhibition Grounds**

"Here's something that I just realized..." Simon thought out loud as Jet Alone's glow grew more intense, "Why hasn't it blown up already?"

"Why are you tempting fate with ideas?"

"We just drilled a giant hole through it! Why is there still a countdown?"

"Perhaps it was a safety feature that Tokita installed."

"At least he did something right." Bit joked, "So what's the plan if this gauntlet doesn't get here in time?"

"We could kick it out of Earth's atmosphere and then shoot it."

"And let the radiation and explosion screw over the sides?" Roger pointed out, "No...not to mention that this would mess up Earth's tidal patterns."

"You mean beyond how messed up they already are?"

"Why not manually turn off the core?"

"After the warping that the spear did to it? I'm pretty sure that it's structure is unrecognizable."

"How about we split up?" Shinji suggested, "Then I'll have Eva contain it in a-"

"Not happening."

"Why not?" Shinji said to Roger, "The AT Field can hold it and Eva's armor has withstood worse-"

"But the sheer temperature will cook you alive, Shinji." Bit pointed, "Besides, the field will only hold for as long as you're alive. Once your vaporized in an instant, what then?"

"Incoming." Heero reported, "That must be the gauntlet."

"Rangers! Activate the armament protocal!"

"What's that?"

"I have no idea..."

"Just line yourself up with the gauntlet."

"Okay..." Roger reluctantly complied as the group recognized the voice operating the incoming object, "Is that you Optimus?"

"Here I come!"

"Right!" Simon shouted as Mecha Lord flew into the air, "DIVIDING...DRIVERRR!" The machine punched out and fit it's arm inside of the cylinder object. The object clamped onto Mecha Lord's armor and the rear end folded out into a gauntlet shaped like a variable-bolt screwdriver.

"DDDDIIIIIIVVVVVIIIIIDDDDEEEE!" Mecha Lord charged through the air and slammed the gauntlet's bolt into the air around the overcharged Jet Alone. It was as though a crack was made in the very air itself as the dividing bolt was driven further into this fissure in space.

"CCCCRRRREEEEAAAAATTEEEEEE!" The bolt spun with green energy that flowed out from Mecha Lord and the crack instantly expanded. Suddenly, Jet Alone was standing within a trenched void with all of Angel Groove divided around it. Buildings were lifted from place and flew into the trench as Mecha Lord activated it's wings and Jet Alone fell into the bottomless trench.

"ANNNDDDD...DRRRRIIIIIVVVVEEEEEE!" Mecha Lord punched down and the bolt shot out from the gauntlet towards the falling Jet Alone. The bolt pierced through it's chest just above it's previous hole and drove the machine further into the abyss. The Rangers then watched as the spatial dimension collapsed in on itself from the force of both Jet Alone's energy and the destructive force of the Dividing Driver's drive charge.

Like a two door entry hall, the spatial rift closed in upon itself just before a massive explosion of nova proportions could escape out into Angel Groove. Fully sealed, Mecha Lord landed upon the ruined ground of the exhibition arena and the used up gauntlet popped off of Mecha Lord's arm, it's job fulfilled.

"What just..." Van muttered in utter shock, "What was that?"

"Why do I feel like we just wiped out some parallel universe?"

"Because you created one and then destroyed it." Optimus' responded from the smoking gauntlet, "A pocket dimension with limitations only attached to the one who created it.

"My arm feels numb..." Shinji grunted, "But at least we didn't go with my original plan..."

"What about bravely sacrificing yourself for your friends?"

"Great accept...I saw Terminator 2...it would have hurt like hell..."

* * *

**Exhibition Stands**

"Well...I think that demonstration spoke for itself." Yugi said while most of the audience remained stunned at Mecha Lord's newest tool of destruction, "What do you have to say for yourself Mr. Tokita?"

"Don't bother Yugi, he's speechless."

"Maybe a little game will open him up." Yugi suggested, "Ever played a game of five fingers?"

"No..."

"Well it's a really simple game..." Yugi explained to the disbelieving Tokita, "We each start with five fingers on each hand and we whittle down each other's fingers until one of us has zero. Whoever is left standing wins."

"Okay..." As Yugi brought out his hand, Mr. Tokita brandished a semi-auto submachine gun and opened fired on Yugi. Every single bullet went around the cheerful japanese child as Tokita shook with fear.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." Yugi apologized as an egyptian emblem appeared on his forehead, "Guns aren't allowed in shadow games, that's cheating..."

"Bu...But..."

"Guess what that means?"

"I lose-"

"PENALTY GAME!" The air around Tokita cracked and then broke. Leaving the businessman on his knees with a pale look in his face as no one paid any attention to his state of being.

"Why don't you play those games more often?"

"Eh..." Yugi shrugged to Kaiba's question, "They're honestly not as fun anymore."

"You know...if you had done that to Pegasus the first time you dueled him-"

"OH LEAVE IT TO DRY! How was I supposed to know that he'd try to duel me through a television and then take my grandpa's soul after time ran out?"

"Common sense?"

"And you had that when you went into a virtual game repaired by the five men who had betrayed you and Mokuba to Pegasus?"

"At least I've never needed outside interference to win any of my duels or successes."

"Which one of us has a cheerleader whose going to wait for them in bed back at home? Not the man with a dragon fetish."

"Which one of us is standing in a city that the other owns? Probably the king of a card game that barely anyone plays anymore."

"At least I'm not adopted."

"At least I don't live with my grandpa."

"Here we go again..." Aina signed, wondering how her husband managed to take this man seriously as a boss, "Norris...get the clean-up crew ready..."

* * *

**Command Center Lounge**

"Enoch...Messengers...A Forge...Nemesis...Something about Shinji's mom...Arc..." Bit asked while the other rangers sat in the lounge, "What just happened people? When did this go from a simple exhibition that we would have to suffer through...to a puzzle that not solving will end up dooming mankind?"

"Is that the most pertinent question?" Bit shrugged as Roger rubbed his chin, "I want to know more about this Forge..."

"Messengers..."

"Nemesis..."

"We should tell Kaiba about what we heard." Heero suggested, "Zero created a recording of the conversation, we can analyze it's speech patterns to track its location-"

"Location?" Bit asked, "You want to fight this thing? It was using a nuclear machine as it's mouthpiece!"

"Soil of my power..." Roger muttered as he looked at the recording that Heero had, "We'll get this to Mokuba."

"Get what to Mokuba?" All except Heero and Roger jumped when they realized that Kaiba and Yugi were in the room the whole time, "Something that you don't completely trust me with?"

"Well you are the biggest dick in this entire city Kaiba."

"Yugi, shut it..."

"Make me!"

"And you did blackmail just about everyone one of us." Bit pointed out while the rangers all agreed with him, "So...yeah..."

"So what is it?"

"A recording from a conversation that we had."

"Heero!"

"What? We can't afford to be picky." Heero said to Van, "Besides, I'll kill him if he uses this information for ill."

"Haven't we had this conversation already?" Seto said as Heero simply eyed him, "So what the hell happened?"

"We fought a giant nuclear powered robot." Simon answered, "It went into meltdown, so we used the Dividing Drive-"

"I know about that," Kaiba stated, "I meant the part where you just stood there for a moment with your heart rates spiking as though you were undergoing the Clockwork Orange Treatment."

"Please don't mention that..."

"What's the Clockwork Orange Treatment-"

"DON'T ASK!"

"On that, I'm still waiting for an answer." Roger handed the disk over to Kaiba, "This is a disk, not an answer."

"The answer is on the disk." Roger clarified, "Another anomaly identifying itself as Enoch assumed control of Jet Alone's programing to talk to us. The disk has the full recording, but to summarize, it wants us to do die."

"And how is this different from anything else that has attacked us?"

"I can explain." Bit volunteered, "You see...most of our enemies are at least kind enough to skip straight to fighting. Can anyone remember the last time that someone warned us in advance!"

"Deathwing."

"And that area is still off-limits!" Bit said as an image of the scorched border lands of District 7 were shown on screen, "Right Kaiba?"

"Why?" Yugi chimed in while rubbing sand out of his eyes and yawning, "Oh...sorry...did I interrupt something pretentious and dramatic?"

"My rangers are spazzing out because the enemy talked to them-"

"YOU WEREN'T THERE DAMN YOU!" Shinji shouted at the top of his lungs, "It wasn't just talking to us...it was...vibrating through us...every word he spoke touched our minds...it was just like the Clockwork when I was four...every word he said was like a dagger through my soul...but I couldn't shut out my ears...or what I was forced to see..."

"Aniki..." Simon said assuredly to his terrified brother, "It's alright...we're all scared."

"It...it knew my mother..." Shinji muttered, "It sensed her in me..."

"Knew your mother?" Kaiba said as Van caught a glint of fear in his eyes, "There's no way that it could be...Yugi! Let's go bug Mokuba!"

"Oh fine..." Yugi agreed, "By the way, nice job out there guys. If you're ever in Domino City, just give my grandpa a call."

"Thanks Yugi." Bit thanked the retreating King of Card-games, "I think we all need to go home."

"Yeah..." Simon agreed as he heard his phone ring and answered it, "Bro!"

"Sup Simon! Shinji, how's it going?" Kamina asked as a holographic image of him appeared out of the phone and bro-fisted Simon and Shinji, "Just calling to let ya know that my manly packs are coming home!"

"Great Bro!" Simon shouted with newly kindled fire, "Hey Shinji...let's go meet bro!"

"Alright..." Shinji agreed with a smile, "You guys coming?"

"Sure...why not?"

"A brother of yours is a brother of mine, let's welcome our missed comrade."

"Fine with me."

"Acknowledged."

* * *

**Command Center Hallway**

"Alright Kaiba, what did they unearth that they shouldn't have?"

"A recording with an entity that knew Shinji's mother..." Kaiba answered Yugi, "It's not like I believe it or that it has any relevance on the death of my real father."

"What?"

"Nothing." Kaiba lied, "I'm going to indulge in being a big brother...wanna join?"

"You're not going to bully him are you?" Yugi asked, "I don't like bullies."

"No, I'm just going to embarrass him." Kaiba said with a smile, "Apparently, he now has a lady-friend from the Dai-Gurren Brigade who he hangs out with a lot. So I'm going to barge in and break up an intimate moment between the two of them. Then I'll shamelessly ridicule Mokuba for his choice and lack of pace, causing the poor girl to run home ass-naked and humiliated."

"You do realize that you're talking about a group of people who already drilled through here once."

"Good point." Kaiba relented, "But then again...she's a young girl. She'll be too embarrassed to say anything."

"Somethings banging against the wall..." Yugi pointed out as they neared Mokuba's room, "And I hear excited yelling and cheering."

"Oh...and the music is all the way up." Seto picked up the pace of his walk and snickered, "I was scared that Mokuba didn't have it in him."

"So you're going to leave him alone?"

"No! I'm going to do this!" Seto opened the door with enthusiasm to catch his little brother in the act, "Hi Mokuba! What's-"

"Hey Seto!"

"Hey Seto!" Mokuba and Kiyal greeted while sitting in front of tv showing the Hulk punching out Thanos, "You're here to see the Avengers 2?"

"Actually...I was just seeing how you were..." Seto answered while Yugi was lying on his side laughing like a hyena, "Like a good big brother should..."

"We've had a blast in here!" Kiyal cheered and accidently threw a plastic shield through the ceiling, "Um...Mokuba said that you knew where I could get tickets for the premiere of Avengers vs X-men-"

"Here's one for a VIP room." Seto said as he handed the girl a pair of VIP tickets and then left in a hurry, "You're welcome and good bye."

"Oh that was rich..." Yugi said to Kaiba while holding back more laughter, "So are you going to watch that recording?"

"Yes Yugi! I'm going to watch it!"

"But you don't want to, do you?"

"To be honest, no I don't." Seto admitted, "But I'm going to anyway because it'll have answers to questions that I've had about this city since I bought it."

"You mean why ridiculously powerful monsters keep trying to kill you?" Yugi asked, "I always thought it was karma for how much of a jerk you are-"

"This coming from the boy who lives with his grandpa and is possessed by a 5,000 year old Egyptian pharaoh who helps him cheat in children's card games."

"You're still a jerk."

* * *

**Angel Groove District 34 Entry Zone**

"District Gate Guard, this is Commander Shiro Amada, requesting clearance for entry."

"Verification code please?"

"Londo Bell is Aznable's hell."

"Code confirmed and voice recognized," Shiro watched as the Entry Zone gate before the convoy craft parted to the side, allowing for the Dai-Gurren Brigade and the Defense Force to reenter their home, "Welcome back Commander, is my son alright?"

"He's fine Dave," Shiro assured the communications manager, "But...I don't have good news to tell...Shawn..."

"His brother didn't make it?"

"I'm sorry..."

"What for sir?" Dave asked, "Carry on through, Commander...I'll have Shawn informed..."

"Thanks..." Shiro said in gratitude, "We also have a lot of hungry kids, are the rations prepared?"

"You kidding? You'd almost think that Kaiba was spoiling them."

"Believe me...I think they deserve to be spoiled a little." Shiro said...remembering what had been pieced together of their parent's fates, "We also have some other personnel."

"Anyone we should detain?"

"No," Shiro said though he wasn't too sure himself, "Patch me through to the Rangers."

* * *

**Angel Groove Entry Zone Security Screen**

"Where's Ed?"

"Something about a detected transformer..." Bill said to the rookie guard, "At least he's not as bad as when we first got him..."

"I just saw him a second ago," Bob pointed out, "He's probably going over to the Nerv folks."

"What ever..." Bill said as a line of very strange individuals lined up at the screening station, "Anyway...just step onto the conveyor belt."

"Why?"

"You're all first time visitors with proven destructive capacity." The guard said while reading his magazine, "If we see something that we don't like, we'll blow you up."

"And why is this an incentive?"

"Because the alternative is our interrogations unit headed by a guy in a skull mask." Bob said as the line cringed in panic, "I thought so."

"Let's see..." Bill watched the information screen as the first of the newcomers entered, "Vega Obscura...Planet Zi...age fifteen...blood type B-...human...clear!"

"Ao Fukai..." What kind of shampoo was this kid using? Bill wanted some, "Planet of Birth no longer listed...age thirteen...blood type unknown...hybrid of human and unlisted species...clear!"

"Mamoru Nikapol..." Bill thought that he had heard that name somewhere and he looked vaguely familiar, but ignored it, "Earth...age undeterminable...blood type unknown...human with minor genetic additions from animal class pantera...clear!"

"Kamille Biden..." Bill instantly recognized the next figure on the belt, "Colony...age stalled by the Virulent...blood type A...newtype human...clear, sir."

"Sir?" Kamille asked, "Do I know you?"

"I was a window washer on the Argama sir." Bill admitted proudly, "Best job that I've ever had..."

"This is a step down?"

"Stay here for a week and you'll know what I'm talking about."

"Luckily it won't be that long." Kamille jokingly replied, "Where's my gundam?"

"Being checked into the maintenance hanger now."

"Thanks, see you later."

"Doctor Steven Tauros..." Bill said as a humming older man stepped onto the belt, "Zi...age 40...blood type O...human...insanity on an A-class criminal level...clear!"

"Thank you kind sir..."

"Toji Suzahara..." Bill watched a young man on a stretcher get pushed through the belt by that Mamoru kid, "Earth...age 14...blood type unknown...human...clear! Get him to the medical ward now!"

"Hot nurses here I come..."

"Lucky little bastard..." Bill heard Kittan jealously mutter, "Maybe you should meet him there, huh Kamilla?"

* * *

**Angel Groove Medical Ward**

"Hiccups?"

"Yes..."

"Great..." First Nia and now this little girl had hiccups? Joy really wanted this day to end, "Well it's nothing bad, but the only way to do that is to make you laugh or scare you."

"What about laughing?"

"Okay..." Joy breathed and decided to indulge this little child, "So what did the mole say to the penguin?"

"I don't know..."

"He said I'd mole for a pen-gun!" The child laughed so loudly that Joy didn't notice the blond badass fly out the wall behind him and epically slam his face into a nearby pie, "Wow...you thought that was actually funny? Guess I can tell jokes."

* * *

**Angel Groove District 34 Security Elevator**

"The security here is very lax..." Misato commented as she was led out of the security checkpoint, "At least that's how it looks."

"Up until you see an Ed 209 unit appear."

"Captain Udaki, I apologize for my tardiness." The machine said to the officer escorting Misato and Maya, "Shall I decrease my armor plating as punishment?"

"No problem Ed and it's Uraki." Kou said to the robot, "Follow me ladies, someone wants to see you."

"Please put down your weapon." Ed roared as it armed it's cannons and pointed them at Misato, "You have twenty seconds to comply."

"I'd do as he says." Kou calmly recommended as Misato reached into her jacket and dropped a pistol onto the ground.

"Relieve yourself of the other weapon." Ed continued, "You now have fifteen seconds to comply."

"Misato!" At Maya's urging, Misato grumbled as she reached into her shirt and pulled out a submachine gun, "Please tell me that was all-"

"Just for good measure..." She reached into her skirt and pulled out a pair of shotguns that she threw onto the ground next to the pistols, "I better get all of these back."

"Thank you for your cooperation, your weapons will be returned to you at your designated quarters." Ed said to Misato as it's guns were placed back into safety mode, "Move along, visitor."

"He's friendly."

"Yes he is, you wouldn't want to see him lethal..." Kou commented as the three of them entered an elevator platform that began to lower down, "A lot of people die..."

"I thought that the Federation phased out the ED security droids."

"They did," Kou replied to Maya, "Kaiba bought a few and actually spent money to make them effective. I think Ed's even learned to use stairs."

"That's progress I guess..." Misato agreed as the elevator came to a halt, pretty amazing considering that Misato barely felt it move, "Why are we stopping?"

"I'll take Major Ibuki to your designated quarters." Kou stated, "The major wants to see you, Colonel and he'll want answers."

"Major?"

"He's a good kid, even if a little rough in stability." Kou admitted, "But once you see him, you'll understand our rough treatment back on the way here."

"I highly doubt that." Misato shot back and eyed the Defense Force Captain suspiciously, "Don't even think of doing anything-"

"Believe me...nothing's going to happen." Kou assured her while Maya signed in relief, "You'll be allowed to keep in touch with one another too."

"So we're prisoners?"

"Just standard procedure, ma'am." Kou assured Maya as the elevator moved to the right, "Colonel."

"Hold on...since when did we have an elevator coming all the way down here?" Misato heard a familiar voice humorously ask, "Alright Kou, what's up-"

"Shinji!"

"Misato..."

"Kami, I was so worried about you!" Misato cried as she ran to Shinji and embraced him in a hug. A hug that he did not return, "Shinji...what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Shinji asked as he backed out of Misato's arms, "What are you doing here Misato?"

"We were attacked," Misato replied, Shinji gasped in surprise, "Several days ago, an unidentified sentient machine attacked the Nerv Branch Testing Facility where we were testing Unit 03...then we came on some help and here we are."

"Oh...okay..." Shinji answered in relief, but his face became hard when he continued, "I take it that you'll want to call the Commander...right?"

"Yeah..." Misato bitterly stated, "We're going to need to work out a pick location for us and the evas."

"Us?" Shinji chuckled humorlessly, "The Commander didn't tell you did he?"

"Tell me what?" Misato asked when she saw a purple mecha rise out of the lower level of the compartment and was held in midair by various mechanisms, "Wait...is that Unit 01?"

"Anima." Shinji said as the Eva was lowered into a closed off chamber for repairs, "Kaiba redesigned it after father forwarded all rights to him and his company...and the dragon..."

"Dragon? Wait...why the hell would Gendo..." As two questions crashed in her mind, Misato's eyes widened when she realized what Shinji was wearing, "That uniform...you're...you're working for Kaiba?"

"Now she notices the uniform-"

"Don't get smart with me!" Misato yelled, "So daddy hurt your feelings, now you're completely clear for abandoning your duty to Nerv-"

"Duty? I don't owe Nerv anything." Shinji coldly stated as Misato remained more stunned at this change in the boy that she was once guardian over, "And for the record, I didn't leave Nerv. NERV LEFT ME!"

"I didn't-"

"You're not the Commander, Father made it very clear that Nerv has no use for a weak...pathetic wimp like me." Shinji said, "Why should I go back to a place where I'm not wanted? The Japanese Council told me to my face that I was banished from Japan because I was "criminally insane on the highest level." Fine, I'm happy here anyway."

"You selfish...selfish little child!" Misato barked while holding back tears, "Did you forget about the Angels! You know, the creatures who are trying to murder every human on this planet! I don't give a rat's ass about what Gendo says or the Japanese Council! You have no idea about how ashamed of you I am...here you are! Gendo hurt's your feelings so you run away and decided to work under an egotistical billionaire who flies around in a jet shaped like a blue eyes white dragon!"

"Said dragon jet actually saved my life once." Shinji remarked as he turned to leave, "Honestly, I'm not a fan of Kaiba's ego, but the people out here have given me more gratitude and love than I've ever gotten from my father or anyone back at Nerv. Including you."

"Shinji..."

"Major." A pair of soldiers appeared from the lower level as Shinji faced them with suddenly softer features, "Do you want us to escort them to their quarters?"

"No." Shinji said to them, "They may be hypocrites, but they're not stupid. Let them move as they will."

"Yes sir." The other soldier replied as they walked past Misato, purposely bumping into her in the process, "Hear that, stay on your best behavior."

"Yeah, I'll behave." Misato said back as she realized what had happened to the Third Child, "Guess you've settled in, Major Ikari."

"Yeah, helps when the ground receives and provides." Shinji shrugged with a sarcastic smile, "Colonel Katsuragi."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, I think Misato and Shinji's reunion could have been a lot worse, no?  
**

**Not much to say about this chapter except that it went through a rough phase between college graduation, moving back home and getting a reasonably fast stable connection to my beloved audience. Overall, I'm satisfied and I hope you enjoy it.  
**


	18. Rise and Gather the Tide

**_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_The rangers handily defeat Jet Alone, but the robot gets the last laugh. Actually, it wasn't the robot, it was the creepy presence that was talking through the robot about domination and destruction.  
_

_Then again, it was Shinji and Simon who got the last laugh by killing it. Then the robot got the last laugh by going into nuclear meltdown. Then the rangers got the last laugh by driving it into another dimension and then collapsing that dimension in on itself.  
_

_Meanwhile, Scorponox gets taken to town by Ed 209. Seriously, what is it with advanced decepticons being defeated by a bipedal droid that has difficulty with stairs? It's getting kind of ridiculous.  
_

_Speaking of ridiculous, Kiyal is a Marvel fan! Why would she even care if she can do half the stuff that the marvel heroes do anyway?  
_

_The Dai-Gurren Brigade and Defense Force return to town like the badasses that they are. Then they put Kittan's new friends through a security screen just for formality with no concern as one of them pilots a mecha dinosaur that shoots a charged particle gun from it's mouth.  
_

* * *

**Kaiba's Office**_**  
**_

_**"You are formidable wielders of many great powers...Rangers,"**_ The entity spoke without emotion, _**"But still you remain rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch upon the brink of my might, foundering in ignorance, incapable of understanding your coming doom."**_

_**"I am the pinnacle of life, the seed of evolution's peek."**_ The entity stated on, _**"I am Enoch."**_

_**"Angel?" The entity mockingly but emotionlessly asked, ******__"A title bestowed by mortals to give face to their destruction...in the end, it does not matter. You may speak of me as a god, you may speak of me as the devil. I simply am."_

_**"I am the Arc sent forward beyond oblivion."**_ Enoch stated, **_"An Arc sent to this place to judge it's inhabitants. Inhabitants whom I have been granted authority to judge and I have found you unworthy. The Seeds of Life have been diminished and enchained by your nature and now, you spread like a virus beyond your natural means. Through your spread, you create your own nemesis, one who shall destroy you."_**

"You think that humanity will destroy itself?"

_**"I know that it will, it always has."**_ Enoch responded to Heero, **_"Even now, many of you work tirelessly to perfect the tools of your own destruction. The seal has been lifted and soon your world and all others will burn beneath your ignorance."_**

"So this what the rangers are so shaken over..." Kaiba said while he and Yugi listened to the audio from the ranger's recording of their latest battle. "What?"

"You're shaking over it too."

"What the hell are talking about?"

"Kaiba, I've hardly ever seen you show any emotion." Yugi bluntly said. "The only emotions that you basically have are happiness and gratitude from rescuing Mokuba from his latest kidnapper and an "oh crap" just before your ass gets handed to you. When this mask appeared on the robot, you had a face that was somewhere between "oh crap" and wanting to cry for your momma. Except in this case, you don't have a mother."

"Yugi...why should I be afraid of a recording?" Kaiba asked when the recording skipped and halted with the screen stuck on the masked face of Jet Alone, "And it just stopped..."

_**"Seto."**_

"The recording knows your name." Yugi noted unshocked while he saw Kaiba's stunned look, "See! You're making the face again!"

"Wha..." Seto mumbled before he straightened back out to his egotiscal standard self, "How do you know my name?"

_**"Tabris whispers of you."** _The voice of Enoch spoke, **_"Stand upon the soil of my power and build the epicenter of your city upon it. You stand and declare this land to be your's and challenge powers that you can never fathom with souls as lost as your's. With this feeble defiance, you resist, but you will fail."_**

_**"You act in misguided confidence."**_Enoch went on as Yugi noticed that the record had been ejected already,_** "Confidence born of ignorance, the agents of my power cannot be stopped."**_

"Like the last guy that I stopped?"

**_"You are few and have only defeated few."_**Enoch's voice boomed,** _"My power encompasses over many and they shall overwhelm you and your arrogance."_**

"I think that we should turn off the recording..."

"Quiet Yugi..." Kaiba said as he marched to the frozen screen and looked straight into the mask, "Maybe you have more than my volunteers can yield...maybe you've got an entire army waiting in the dark reaches of space or something like that. But that's nothing to me. I've faced you before when I just a boy and guess which one of us walked away from that incident unscathed? I've faced giants and mountains that only served to increase the size of my ego and then swallowed them."

"Now I'm one of the richest jerks on this planet when I used to be an orphan. But what about you? You say that I built your city on the soil of your power...what power? If you had any power, you would've tried to stop me, but you didn't. Because you have no power, your power was taken by a "rudimentary creature of blood and flesh". You say that I can't comprehend you, but comprehension isn't even necessary."

"You're just a bitter and de-throned little creature whose madly grasping for any semblance that he can. But you had your chance, you lost and now the soil of your power will be the stepping stone for the sidewalks of my city. In other words, either man up and take back this land yourself; or shut up and leave it in the hands of Seto Yanzaki Kaiba. Agreed?"

"You really came up with that whole speech on the fly?" Yugi asked impressed and slightly inspired by his rival, "Response?"

**_"They who have an end cannot comprehend the height of those who have no beginning."_**Enoch responded,** _"You shall despair as the shadow of my foot descends upon your ego, Seto Yanzaki Kaiba. This conversation is over."_**

"Wait! Where are you?" Yugi asked as the viewscreen exploded in the face of the expert duelists, "Good job Kaiba! Know you don't know anything about what this thing is!"

"Actually, I already do."

"Care to share this with the class?"

"And what?" Kaiba asked, "Defeat it in a children's card game and win it over to our side with a friendship speech?"

"Or mind crush it?" Yugi offered, "Come on! I did both of those on you and they worked!"

"You do have a point...you're welcome to try once we find him."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Communication Hub 43**

"Link server confirmed," A hologram of beautiful blond woman in red said as it appeared in front of Kamille, "You are attempting to link to a classified channel, identify your rank and evidence of your clearance to use this channel."

"Lieutenant Commander Kamille Bidan of the Londo Bell Task Force," Kamille answered, "Evidence: sequence-A-K-E-K-A-E-C-J, confirmation code: blue-green-white devil-96-unicorn."

"Clearance code confirmed, voice print recognized, eye pattern and dna print matched, patching through secure channel." The woman smiled as her image began to fade, "Commodore Noah will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Kamille smiled back at the faded hologram as another one immediately replaced it, "Lt. Commander Bidan reporting sir!"

"At ease Kamille," Bright Noah said to the Commander, radiating with relief as he returned Kamille's salute, "It's good to see you in one piece."

"Thank you sir."

"I just have one question," Bright said as Kamille waited for the holographic image, "How the hell did you end up in Angel Groove?"

"Coincidence sir, shit happens sometimes."

"That's a huge coincidence..." Bright nodded his head, seemingly unsurprised or fearful "If I recall, I had you sent to that testing center to oversee Unit 03's completion and the training of it's pilot. So what happened?"

"What have you been told?"

"Since it's official Nerv business, nothing." Kamille rolled his eyes at the same time that Bright exhaled, "My leak in Nerv and the upper brass hasn't been able to come across much either. All I know is some far-fetched story about a helicopter turning into a metal chewing robot that wiped out the base."

"Then the leak was right." Bright said to himself, "One of the personnel called it a Decepticon, a sentient machine capable of transforming into a pre-scanned vehicle. It caught us by surprise sir...not even the eva could stand up to it in it's state."

"I thought the eva was supposed to have the same defensive capability as the angels?"

"It is." Bright answered, "The defense recognition system hadn't been fully complete, rendering the AT field inoperable when the decepticon attacked. It was trying to use the Eva to hack into Nerv's databanks."

"Did it succeed?"

"Not sure, the Colonel's staying tight lipped about what it found." Kamille wasn't surprised, Colonel Katsuragi was very adamant about keeping Nerv secrets within the Nerv circle, "We escaped the base, but it caught up to us with some friends and we engaged it. Thanks to some timely help, we managed to survive and met up with a convoy led by the city's defense force."

"Good to hear. What's your status now?"

"The Defense Force Commander is giving me room and board for as long as I'm here-"

"Good, I think that you'll be staying then."

"Sir?" Kamille said surprised and then felt apprehension radiate from Bright, "Something's about to happen...isn't it?"

"It is..." Bright answered "Hackett could only tell me so much, but Solomon's fleet is marshaling in the Lunar section. They say that they're waiting for the next angel attack, but that doesn't make any sense then."

"Why?"

"Because there should be no reason for Nerv to employ a fleet for a future angel attack." Bright went on, "The fourth Angel, Sachiel, already proved that conventional warfare won't do anything but annoy the angels and the next six angels to come after him have only confirmed this. Plus, this seems like it's preparing for an occupational offensive rather than defensive support."

"Who? The colonies? Another planet?"

"I don't know..." Bright admitted with frustration, "But I do know that Quaritch was recently attached to the fleet. That's never good in my book."

"You think that they'll attack here?" Kamille asked and sensed that Bright was restraining himself from saying what Kamille felt, "Sir?"

"I can't say anything more." Bright replied even though Kamille knew what he would have said, "But I need you there for a reason, if things really do go down south...I'll be more comfortable knowing that you're in the best place where you can help."

"You sure about that?"

"Kamille, I know about the members of the AG Defense Force." Bright stated while reading through a short folder, "They respect you, they remember what you did during the War."

"And what I didn't do-"

"That's enough," Bright snapped with authority, Kamille already felt the verbal slap on his cheek, "Stop blaming yourself for what happened, Amuro wouldn't want that."

"I know..." Kamille grudgingly agreed, "Also, Hathaway says hi."

"Thanks for passing that on." Bright said with utmost gratitude, "Tell him to stop beating himself up and to call his mother before she gets a stroke from worrying about him."

"I will sir."

"Thanks Kamille," Bright said as Kamille saluted him and Bright did likewise, "Get some rest, you've earned it. Report back to me if anything else happens, Bright out."

* * *

**Command Medical Ward**

"Hikari!" Shinji yelled when he ran into the room straight past a nurse, "I'm so sorry...I came as soon as I heard that..."

"Calm down Shinji..." A more lively Hikari assured him, "I'm fine, really...the doctor just wants me to stay overnight."

"Alright..." Shinji breathed, "Where was Noriko?"

"There isn't much that you can do against a killer robot on foot," Hikari explained as Shinji agreed, "That's what the other robots are for..."

"Alright...you're feeling better?"

"Yeah..." Hikari giggled as she answered, "I guess when the scorpion stung me...whatever was in that serum helped kick-start the antidote and helped me along a bit quicker."

"Good..." Shinji answered in relief, "I'm starting to find that there are more robots around here than there probably should be..."

"Really?"

"Yeah..." Shinji answered, "Each ranger has their own robot, the DF have theirs, everyone in Simon's group has one, Bit's part of a team of ace zoids pilots, Van's embassy guard have their own guymelefs, Coop has his, Naota, Kaiba's jet, Davy Jones and his Grandma...makes you wonder why they even need me..."

"Now where did this come from?" Both teens froze when they heard the head of a catgirl poke out from the ceiling, "You're one of Lord Van's best friends! How dare you question your position!"

"Merle?"

"Damn it!" The catgirl cried when her head fell to the floor with a thud and then floated back up, "Sorry for interrupting..."

"What are you doing?"

"Practicing my hidden cloak walk," Merle answered as the rest of her body slowly became visible, "We fanelians use the air to cloak our presence from sight and touch, allowing us to move around and sneak attack anyone who tries to harm Lord Van!"

"So you haven't gotten down the walk part?"

"More like climb upside down." Merle elaborated, "Bulgus even forced me to wear this weighted dress and boots!"

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"You should see what he's doing to the post guard..."

* * *

**Meanwhile at the Fanelian Embassy**

"Sir..." A lightly armored young cat-girl asked before leaping out of the way of a large sword that tried to crush her and her fellow guard, "How is fighting a guymelef on foot going to help us guard the front door?"

"Simple men!" Balgus cried out from the guymelef armed with an oversized claymore, "There will be times when your enemy will use everything at their disposal to strike our king and queen when they are at their most vulnerable! So you must be prepared for any adversary!"

"Especially the ones that will just blow a hole in the wall instead of trying to go through the door?"

"Exactly!" Balgus answered before the claymore fired off an invisible field of pressurized air that pushed back the two guards, "Stand your ground men! If I were the enemy you'd be dead right now!"

"You're going too far sir!"

"Am I strapping you to a chair and allowing poisonous snakes to bite at your legs?"

"Not anymore..."

"Exactly! Steer your courage men!"

"I'm a woman!"

"Then get your jugs in line or you'll end up as the enemy's baby maker!"

"I'd sooner die than let that happen!"

"No need to worry about that. With the way that you're fighting, you'll be amongst the first casualties!"

"Right after you sir!"

* * *

**Back to the kids**

"Anyway, I'm going back on my rounds," Merle boredly said while she left the room, "No hickies!"

"No what?" Shinji asked as Hikari felt her face turn completely red despite it's bad timing, "You okay Hikari?"

"It's...it's nothing Shinji..." Hikari lied while she hid half of her face under the covers, "Are you okay?"

"No..." Shinji admitted, "Misato is here..."

"Misato?" Hikari asked when another question popped into her mind, "Wait...is Toji with her?"

"Toji? Well..." Shinji was now starting to frown, "Yeah...he was brought into the medical ward..."

"Is he alright? Is he hurt?"

"He's..." What was wrong with Shinji? Did she do something wrong? "He was brought into rehabilitation...he's already fine it's just..."

"The toll from piloting Eva?" Hikari figured that this would bother Shinji, "Please visit him..."

"Sure..." Shinji reluctantly replied, "I'll check in on him..."

"Thank you Shinji, this means a lot..."

"I'm sure that it does," Shinji said with an almost forced smile, "I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Rest up until then."

"I will." Hikari replied when Shinji left the room and she lied back on her bed and saw that someone's head was standing in front of the window.

"Hitomi?"

"Iditot..." Hitomi breathed while the rest of her body came into view, "What. Are. You. Doing?"

"I...I wanted Shinji to check on Toji-"

"In the middle of your moment?" Hitomi slapped her hand on her face and pinched her nose as she went on, "Hikari...do you know anything about men? How their instinctive caveman-like sense of possession works? If there's a single doubt in their mind, then they'll believe that their in danger of losing their woman!"

"I'm not Shinji's woman!" Hikari yelled, "We're just...friends..."

"Okay...you're just...friends..." Hitomi said while nodding her head, "Or have you failed to notice that you're one of the few people that Shinji is actually happy around? Ever since he found out that you were in Angel Groove, he's been less angsty and non-responsive and more assertive and in control."

"That's because of Simon, Roger and all of you..."

"And you!" Hitomi shouted as she pointed to Hikari's chest, "Believe it or not, he's interested in you and judging from what he's said and what you've said, you're the first person to show "intimate" affection for him without an alterior motive or a botched execution."

"So what did I do wrong?"

"Okay...you're not leading him on..." Hitomi said to herself while Hikari remained confused and questioning how she was hurting Shinji, "Good, it was just a lack of communication...and conveying that communication. If it were otherwise...I would've had slap a shiner onto your face..."

"What?"

"Toji," Hitomi said, "Do you like him or not?"

"I...did..." Hikari admitted, thinking back to before she was transferred to Angel Groove, "I did like him a while ago...but it was just a crush...I moved on after I figured that I wasn't his type of girl."

"Okay..." Hitomi said to herself, "Does Shinji know about your crush?"

"He used to be friends with Toji and I remember asking him for advice before Asuka came-" Then it hit Hikari, "Oh no..."

"Trust me, this why having big sisters help," Hitomi said while leaning against the wall and soothing her finger over her pendent, "Mine was a pain in the ass, but I learned lessons like this before it ended in messes like the one that you might be facing."

"What should I tell him?"

"What else? The truth."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Lounge**

"Are you sure that this is such a good idea?" A young woman asked her senior as she hauled a camera on her shoulder, "Didn't they kill the last reporter that was here-"

"Miriallia, I've been interviewing for ten years, I know what I'm doing." The senior reporter spat while brushing her hair, "I did get us in here, didn't I?"

"With bribery-"

"Mirialla, we don't use bribery in professional vocabulary." The bitch corrected as Miri just waited to hear what she'd say, "Think of it as a monetary motivation to overlook a minor breach in protocol."

"Accept that it probably wasn't necessary." Miri pointed out with a subtle smile, "The guard was probably uncomfortable with you in his face and then took the money if you left him alone."

"To be young and stupid," The reporter said as she noticed a young Japanese boy walk through the lounge, "Major Ikari! Major Shinji Ikari!"

"What?"

"Khalisah al-Jilani, Westerlund News reporter," The reporter introduced herself, "Mind if I ask you a few questions, Major Ikari?"

"I'm not in the mood." Shinji growled, but found that Khalisah was standing still in front of him, "Move."

"And deny the public service of sharing deserved information with the public?" Khalisah asked, "Now be a good boy and answer a few questions."

"Can't we just leave him alone? He doesn't look like he's in a good mood-"

"If I want your opinion, I'll ask intern." Khalisah barked while Miri shrugged her shoulders, "Just a few short questions, major. Is that so hard?"

"Ask the questions, I won't promise an answer."

"See? Now roll the camera intern!" Miri groaned as she rolled the camera and watched her senior at work, "Major Shinji Ikari, before coming to Angel Groove, you were kidnapped by a gang of pirates during your service for the Japanese Defense Organization Nerv. Could you tell me how your time with the pirates was? How did you cope? Did they forcibly take away your innocence and then pour crude rum on the scabs and cuts that they inflicted on you?"

"It wasn't bad at all." Shinji answered, "The pirates were scary at first, but they were actually really nice. They even gave me a tattoo when they asked me for one and we'd always play concerts...they thought that I was good with a violin and cello too-"

"As you can see, Major Ikari is suffering from the effects of Stockholm Syndrome," Khalisah said to the camera, "Moving on. Records show that you are the pilot of the mecha known as Evangelion Unit 01 and had a strong record with Nerv, despite the classified nature of most of your operations. What training did you have to undergo in order to pilot such an advanced machine?"

"None," Shinji answered, "I wasn't trained, they called me in and told me to pilot. So I did-"

"Oh the fabrications of the spoiled," Khalisah laughed while Miri saw the boy's fist tighten, "After all, your father is the Commander of Nerv. He had to have trained you, otherwise how would you have been so good?"

"I did what I was told," Shinji said with his face pointed down to the ground, "I hadn't really seen my father since I was nine and I didn't even know that he was running Nerv...hell, the first thing he really told me was to pilot Eva...he didn't even offer an excuse or an apology for abandoning me-"

"And I think that's all I want to hear from this wangst fest," Khalisah said with mock annoyance, "Major Ikari, you're stationed here in Angel Groove under your rescuer Seto Kaiba. But how come you haven't attempted to make contact with Nerv or return to Japan?"

"They exiled me. My father didn't want anything more to do with me-"

"So daddy made you cry...which made you quit Nerv and leave millions of citizens to die?" Khalisah asked as Miri herself started to really hate her job and this reporter, "Have you considered the ramifications of your selfish decision? Hell! Did you find some tail over here and decided to stay and ride her out till you got bored-"

"I've had enough of your disingenuous assertions."

"It's democracy kid, what are ya going to do about it-" Miri was answered when Shinji's fist slammed into the side of her face, knocked her face first into a nearby wall and quietly slid down to the floor.

"Ah! Is she...dead?" Miri asked as she ran over to her senior and checked for a pulse. Sadly, the pulse was still there, "Damn...you just knocked her..."

"I'm...I didn't..." Shinji said to himself as he looked at his own hand in shock, "I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright, she's such a bitch!" Miri shouted while trying to calm Shinji down, "Now I can do this whole report my way! And you just helped me out on how not to do it. My name's Miriallia Haw, photographer and intern journalist for Sanc News."

"Are you going to ask me any questions?"

"Not if you don't want to." Miri answered, "Really...I don't think getting in people's faces is going to help..."

"I'll answer a few questions..."

"Okay...I wasn't expecting this..." Miri admitted while she grabbed her camera and stood in front of Shinji, "So...hold on...Major Ikari, since coming to Angel Groove, how has adapting to a new city treated you?"

"Well...I kind of like it here," Shinji admitted as he calmed down, "Crazy stuff happens, but the people here are all good people. Even Mr. Kaiba's pretty nice, though he'd never admit and he's still an arrogant ass."

"Tell me about," Miri replied with intrigue, "You've had to face some scary stuff over here...have there been times when you've wanted to just quit and let someone else do it?"

"I was scared..." Shinji admitted again, "But I won't run away from danger...if my time at Nerv has taught me anything, it's that running away from your responsibilities will...always lead to someone getting hurt...and I don't want that to happen to anyone here."

"Why not?"

"They like me...they really like me," Shinji sincerely answered, "Mokuba even offered to have someone else pilot Eva after I was injured fighting Deathwing. But I couldn't quit...not willingly. He even upgraded it to allow me to better control and fight with lessened damage to myself."

"That's pretty nice of him. So what was the price? 50 million? 70 million? 150 million?"

"Free."

"Fre...FOR...For Free?"

"His brother does kind of own it," Shinji explained while Miri tried to compose herself, "Any other questions ma'am?"

"Just one more." Miri decided, noticing that he was on his way somewhere anyway, "If you could say anything to your fellow rangers and defense force members that you haven't said before...what would it be?"

"Thank you all," Shinji stated, "I know that I'm a bit of weak and pathetic wimp...but I'm still happy that all of you have accepted me as your friend and I promise not to let that go to waste."

"Sounds like a nice bunch of friends." Miri complemented when she and Shinji shook hands, "Keep em close Major and have a great evening."

"Thank you." Shinji replied when he turned and went back to whatever he was doing. Miri noticed that his walk was heavy, like he was carrying something on his back...

"Aren't you going to help your boss up?"

"Nah...she's fine just where she is." Miri replied to a nearby Heero, "And Victoro says to call him soon."

"I will." Heero stated while he got out his phone, "How's Relena?"

"Miss Relena's as happy as always," Miri went on, "And no, she understands perfectly about you being stuck here. Just keep in touch with her and Victoro."

"Understood."

* * *

**Command Intensive Care and Recovery**

"Hey...Toji..."

"Shin man!" Toji called from his bed, "Hey! How's it going?"

"Great...I guess..." Shinji answered as he sat at Toji's bedside and looked over the bandages that covered him, "What happened?"

"Got roughed up by a helicopter..."

"What?" What did he do now? "How did that happen?"

"Turns out it was a transforming robot," Toji explained, "Tough little sucker too...I'll get him next time though."

"Glad to see that you're alright." Shinji said gladly, "And...you're really piloting Unit 03?"

"Yeah..." Toji answered with a more subdued attitude, "They came to me after you got kidnapped...offered me the job of piloting the newly completed Eva. I wanted to do something to help since you weren't around...so I took the job."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be man!" Toji yelled, "I've...felt pretty bad about punching you after the fourth angel and blamed you for what happened to my sister...it wasn't your fault, but I lashed out at you anyway. When you never punched me back, I...felt like I had to make it up to you somehow..."

"By becoming a pilot?"

"Not just that..." Toji clarified as he pointed Shinji to a picture of a little girl holding a stuffed Kuriboh, "Fukuro had gotten worse...so I took the job to get her transferred to a better hospital. I don't remember the name except that it had a dragon in front of it, but as soon as she got in, they treated her free of charge and she's already getting better."

"So you did it to save your sister?"

"Think of it as a repayment to God," Toji brought up with a chuckle, "Yeah, call me silly if you want, but I had a prayer answered. You don't repay good grace with bad manners and became a defender of humanity against the scourge of the angel threat!"

"So you fit in pretty well...can't imagine how Asuka felt..." Shinji laughed, but stopped when he saw that Toji was not laughing along with him, "What? I did warn you-"

"That little bitch..." Toji said to himself, "After we killed the ninth angel, she started to get really pissy with everyone, especially Misato. She started yelling about how they lied about her mother and that she's just a doll to them to be played with...then she just left...and took Unit 02 with her."

"What?" Shinji asked in disbelief, "She was transferred?"

"That's what they said officially, that she got transferred to the Nerv Branch in Germany. But we all know the truth. Something pushed all of her buttons at once and caused her to leave without looking back. Now I hear that she was related to some Britannian noble who crooked and left her with a generous fortune and title."

"She's a noble now?"

"Baroness Sohryu, They call her the Red Valkyrie nowadays." Toji declared with a mock noble accent, "Bet she's a nightmare for anyone who was to work under her."

"Better them than us..."

"And I can see that you're settling in nicely." Toji said while pointing to Shinji's uniform. "For what it's worth, sorry that your dad's such a bastard."

"Toji-"

"Kittan and some of the Federation pilots mentioned what happened after the fight with the dragon," Toji explained, "That was a low blow...even by Asuka's standards."

"She said something?"

"Well...Misato did mention your situation as one of the reasons why Asuka told her to bend over and shove her bear up her ass and..." Toji blew out of his mouth without going on, "That's all that I'll say..."

"So Asuka really quit Nerv..." Shinji still couldn't wrap his mind around it, "I never thought that she'd actually do it...I always thought that she loved it."

"Rumor has it that she still does." Toji commented, remembering a disturbing report that he read while in the desert, "Just not under your dad's foot."

"At least we can agree on that..." Shinji nervously chuckled and Toji laughed out loud, "What?"

"Knew it..." Toji pumped his arm and then grabbed it in pain, "I knew that she wasn't your type! Kensuke owes me his PS4 and Mobius 1 model...nah...just PS4. I'm not going to be that evil to him."

"What do you mean?"

"You've got yourself a nice woman, Shinji," Toji pointed out as Shinji wondered what he meant, "Good...I was a bit afraid that Asuka would whip you before you found a good girl."

"You mean?" Shinji should have figured that this would come up, "Oh...How did you know?"

"Every time I talk to Hikari...she always talks about like she just got a new puppy." Toji said, "And don't worry about me either...I'm happy for the two of you."

"Why would I be worried?"

"Exactly..." Toji said while he placed his arms under his head, "Forget that I even said anything...just treat her right, alright?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Exactly."

* * *

**Defense Force Holding Hall**

"What do we have Noriko?"

"See for yourself sir." A tired and less excited Noriko reported to Shiro while they walked through the hall, "Remember all of those disappearances?"

"I remember the report, what about them?"

"Here's the culprit." Noriko said when they entered the lab and found several soldiers both from the Defense Force and the newly arrived refugees trying to fasten the restraining straps for a large scorpion sized machine, "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Not in this shape." Shiro answered, "How did you capture it?"

"It wasn't me sir." Noriko admitted while the two looked over the metallic covered machine, "Ed tore this thing a new asshole and held it down before the city guard took it here."

"I see...Wasn't there another one?"

"I don't know what happened to him..." Noriko answered, remembering the Reedman that had fallen apart in her grasp, "But it can disguise itself as people, it tried to play itself off as a cop."

"How did you see through it?"

"He acted like he was looking for a student...But when he didn't give the student's name, I just knew he was lying to get to Hikari."

"Your roommate? What did it want her for?"

"I don't know sir...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." Shiro assured the young girl, "If you hadn't been there, Ed wouldn't have picked up the disturbance and Hikari would've been captured. Plus, now we can have a nice little conversation with our friend here."

"Thank you sir..." Noriko quickly cheered, "Can I...visit Hikari?"

"Go ahead, Takaya." Shiro allowed, figuring that she had been through enough to warrant a break, "Oh...and once you're on your next shift, you're no longer a rookie."

"Sir?" Noriko's mouth hung open as her face wore an expression of guilt and fear, "But..."

"No buts Takaya!" Shiro shouted, "After reading your record, the force agrees that you're not in the appropriate position. So we've decided to promote you to petty officer."

"What?" Noriko's expression instantly shifted to gratitude as the gathered personnel briefly clapped, "Thank you sir! I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't, Officer Takaya." Shiro agreed happily, "Remember, it's not official until your next shift though, so don't do anything stupid. Got it?"

"Hai!" Noriko saluted, just before she pushed down Shiro, "Look out!"

"What are you-" Shiro was cut off when a metalllic stinger brush through Noriko's shirt and barely missed her skin before embedding itself into the wall.

"Nani?"

"I thought you said it was dead!"

"I said that it was inactive! Not dead!"

"Either way...it shouldn't be moving like that..."

"Eleanor!" Aina shouted while several personnel had leveled their sidearms onto the scorpion, "We're dealing with a sentient cyborg of some kind...there's no way that anyone could see it starting up like this..."

"That's how Decepticons are..." Epps said while the Scorpion was subdued by an electric surge from the straps, "They're deceptive, always seeming like something that they're not. This little guy for instance...he's probably a scout sent in to capture and gather intel before the operation begins."

"What operation?"

"For when the rest of his buddies show up." Epps said to one of the technicians, "I've seen them in action sir...and this fella was tenacious pain in the ass then too..."

"I remember the Sector Seven stories."

"What are ya talking about Kou? S-7 don't exist."

"So we were talking ghost stories?" Ghost asked with curiousity, "I'll tell some of mine if you tell some of yours."

"Whatever, are there any more of them in the city?"

"Nothing confirmed." One of the troops brought up, "Just rumors about a patrol vehicle being chased around by Ed."

"And I'm just learning this because?"

"Shiro...Look me straight in the eye and tell me that a police car under suspicion by Ed holds a candle to everything we've dealt with ever since coming to this city?"

"Aina...You're right...but now that there is nothing else to worry about-"

"I know what you're looking for." Epps offered, "Car's labeled to "Enslave and Destroy", right?"

"Always thought that car was suspicious..."

"Then get on it..." Shiro commanded Ghost, "Aina, meet with Leero and see about creating an anti-toxin from the serum in this stinger."

"You think that the decepticons weaponized this serum?"

"I'm not about to test the waters and find out."

* * *

**Blitz Pad**

"Gotta say..." Vega Obscura whistled as he entered Bit's renovated and nicely decorated home, "The place looks great Bit!"

"I had a lot of help," Bit said as he brought the young boy into a one armed hug, "Great to see you Vega."

"Likewise." Vega said as he returned the hug, "I have to say though, there is a lot of room in the hanger."

"I leave it open for the Defense Force when they need an extra mechanic." Bit explained, "Still need to fix five more MS's before I can top Judau."

"Top him in what?"

"Best engineer in the grove! Or groove if that floats your boat."

"Groove?"

"Long story-"

"Leena!" Dr. Tauros rushed in with arms open as he picked up a young boy with green hair and crushed him in a bear hug before opening his eyes, "Where's Leena? You're not Leena..."

"Hey Dad..."

"Leena!" Tauros cried as he dropped the boy and ran to bring his daughter into a similarly crushing hug, "My darling daughter! How are you!"

"Dad...you can...let go..." Leena breathed before Tauros placed his daughter down, "It hasn't been that long you know."

"I know..." Tauros hung down his head while pointing to Bit and a translucent black string bikini bottom that he'd picked up from the floor, "I'm still getting used to having my little girl independent and "combined" with another man-"

"Dad!" A red faced Leena shouted as she slapped her father on her head and grabbed the piece of lingerie, "Your little girl wants to show you her new toys."

"Toys?" Tauros asked entranced to where he didn't see Leena throw the lingerie to Bit, "Oh my! Go on ahead and show."

"Then follow..."

"So the Blitz Team is all together..." Bit thought out loud as he "subtlely" placed the lingerie under his shirt for "later", "Now we can really practice for the S-Class Grand Prix!"

"The what?" The green haired boy asked when he got back onto his feet, "Sorry...didn't mean to...interrupt...kind of...passed out..."

"Don't worry about it kid." Bit said when noticed that the kid had blue-green hair, "Friend of yours Vega?"

"Yep, he's Ao Fukai, cool kid, mind if he crashes here?"

"Sure," Bit agreed without much thought, "There's room for at least a thousand. Just pick a room and settle in. Don't anger the plants, we like love and peace."

"Thank you sir." Ao replied, "So what's this Grand Prix?"

"It's where the best of the best zoid pilots all battle against each other in teams." Vega explained to his friend, "And the prize for the winner is something that isn't revealed until the winner is announced. They only do this once every twenty years so...it's a pretty big deal."

"Not that we'll have any trouble..." Bit said when he lightly brushed Ao's hair and caused it to brightly glow, "What the?"

"Please don't ask about the hair..."

"Don't tempt him-"

"Wow! Your hair glows?" Bit asked in subdued surprise, "What kind of shampoo did you put in it?"

"It's been like this ever since I climbed into Nirvash..."

"Nirvash?" Bit asked again, "More friends?"

"Big surprises come in small amounts." Ao seemed really annoyed to be the focus of this guy's attention, "So what's cool about this city?"

"It's not a matter of what...But where you should look."

"Well...the wind here is pretty erratic..." Ao said, holding his hand out an open wind like he was catching a passing breeze, "It comes here like it wants to be here and as soon as it starts to leave...it feels bitter...violated..."

"What?"

"He can feel the emotions of the wind," Vega clarified for a listening Bit, "Kind of like Talim from Soul Calibur."

"It's mostly the trapar in the air," Ao reluctantly elaborated, "Transparence light particles are an invisible energy that acts a lot like water or strong wind currents and are most easily carried in the wind."

"Sorry...but that explanation breeches very closely to the midi-chlorian error."

"What?"

"Earth term." Bit answered before going on, "It's when you take something cool and mystical and then completely ruin it with an unnecessary scientific explanation that makes it all sound so simple and mundane. So for simplicity's sake, you can feel the wind...alright?"

"What if I said that I use the trapars to surf through the air?"

"Cool...but surf on the path of the wind sounds so much cooler..."

"He has a point," Vega agreed, "Personally, I don't see why they can't join hands as friends."

* * *

**Fanelian Embassy**

"Dai-Gurren Brigade!" Kamina shouted while holstering his sheathed sword onto his shoulders, "Pretty badass run we had, wasn't it?"

"HAROO!"

"We've beaten the shit out of beastmen and gave LordGenome another turkey!"

"HAROO!"

"Saved a bunch of kids and let em know that there's a world beyond the underground!"

"HAROO!"

"We even got a new member!" Kamina brought up as he pointed out the young boy who stood next to Simon, "Brigade! Meet Mamoru Nikapol Latio!"

"Mamoru for short is just fine sir..."

"Great kid!" Kamina agreed while flexing his arms, "Now time to flex your manly pecks! Flex em boys!"

"HAROO!"

"And remember..." Kittan brought up as well while the men flexed their muscles, the women flexed their "assets" and the little boys all went home, "We pwned a whole army of transforming robots!"

"HAROO!"

"And I combined with a Japanese teenage boy!" Everyone's eyes widened at what Kittan just said, "What? I combined my mecha with his mecha!"

"Oh..." Several members nodded their heads in understanding, "HAROO!"

"Alright! Hit the hay!" Kamina ordered while he starting looking for a certain sniper with very large barely covered "assets", "I'm going to make babies with Yoko! Got a problem? Talk to Simon or Shinji about it!"

"Halt just a moment young man!" Balgus shouted as he jumped onto the balcony where Kamina was standing with his large sword, "This is the home of King Van! The only ones allowed to make babies here are Lord Van and his princess! Seeing as that King Van is honoring his fiance's wishes to refrain from sexual intercourse until she is fully 18, there shall be no baby making here!"

"Who the hell do you think I am!" Kamina demanded as he drew his own sword, "I don't see your King objecting!"

"You're just kind of loud...so maybe if you did it in the mountains-"

"Lord Van! We cannot condone this radical behavior!"

"Fine! If you have a problem, settle it like men and clash your big long swords against one another until one of you wins!"

"Van..."

"Earthlings and their perverted hopelessness..." Van grumbled and then corrected himself, "I meant that they should duel with their oversized forged blades of steel!"

"Oh..."

"Then how about a three-way?" Balgus offered while Kamina smirked, "Or are you not confident in your skill, my king?"

"Alright..." Van accepted while he drew his sword, "Just so you know...this blade has killed dragons!"

"So?" Kamina asked boastfully, "I took out a dragon with a sneeze."

"And I do not need machines to be a beefcake..." Balgus pointed out as the balcony collapsed under an inability to handle the unsheathed awesomeness of the three combatants, "BEEFCAKE!"

"Why are they fighting?"

"Just getting pent up energy out of their systems." Simon explained to the confused Mamoru while everyone else went about their business and pretty much ignored the three-way duel, "I heard that you pilot...where's your mecha?"

"I left it with Dr. Tauros." Mamoru explained as Balgus elbowed Kamina's manhood, but Kamina remained unaffected and did the same to Balgus who was also unaffected, "But Galeon's done very well for me."

"Galeon's it's name?" Simon asked when Van found himself on his knees from being punched in his crouch by both of his foes, "Mine is named Lagann, it can combine with any other mecha and destroy stuff with awesome drills."

"Cool! Mine can transform between a humanoid and a lion!" Mamoru said while Kamina was thrown into the air by a gust of wind from Van's magic, "It can also combine with a drill-car, a train and a fighter-plane to create a mecha that can destroy things by throwing it's arm at them!"

"Awesome..." Simon agreed, completely unfazed when Kamina swiped his sword above Simon's head to parry Balgus and Van in one smooth movement, "Mine can combine with Bro's gunman to create a bigger mecha that can destroy stuff with even larger awesome drills."

"Drills..." Mamoru said to himself as he reflexively caught a vase that fell, "So you are a Spiral Warrior?"

"Uh...guess so..." Simon answered, "What made you ask?"

"Nothing...It's just that the only Spiral Warrior I knew was Nikopol and LordGenome."

"Okay...Wait...what was that last name?"

"LordGenome...the Lord of the Beastmen and my sensei's boss." Mamoru hesitantly went on, "He's also ordered Nikopol to kill me..."

"Why?" A suspicious Rossiu inquired, "And how come you have such thick pants and boots?"

"No reason-"

"Also, there's always claw marks in the floor where ever you go." Rossiu noted while pointing at the floor, "Something that you want to tell us?"

"Who cares, Rossiu," Simon stated, "I don't care why LordGenome wants to kill you. You're with us know and that means that we'll look after you."

"Thank you Simon-san." Mamoru replied when Rossiu was socked across the jaw by Balgus, who immediately stopped in surprise and remorse.

"Oh my! Will he be alright? I really didn't mean to do that."

"He's used to it."

"Okay...BEEFCAKE!"

* * *

**Lunar Theater  
**

Watching a large formation of ships gather above him, Tabris felt pity for the human race.

For all of their free will and ingenuity, they had the potential for such great feats...as proven by their completion of the first colony just a little over a hundred years ago. Once all of the branches of mankind reunited back to earth, the lost brethren of humanity traded their technology with the denizens of their origin world.

But it was still lagging psychologically.

They were still trapped within their own prejudices and conflicting scales of pride and ambition. Allowing the technology and knowledge granted to them to more easily create weapons of self-destruction and death.

Now he saw why his brother's wished to have them eradicated, why Genome feared the spiral within the hands of an earthling...or why the Antithesis had first wished to destroy humanity so long ago...

Hearing ode to joy sound through the empty vacuum, Tabris smiled and answered his phone.

"Hello?" Tabris asked as he sat on the floor of the moon, "Asuka...Wie werden du, meine liebe? (How are you, my love?)"

* * *

**Skies above Toronto, USA  
**

"Nur um an die Arbeit gehen (Just about to go to work)," Dilandau heard the Viscountess answer her boy toy on the other end, "Echt? Sie werden wirklich, fly me to the moon zu manchen Tag. (Really? You'll really have to fly me to the moon too some day.)

"Look at her..." An officer in a pilot suit scoffed, "She destroys all of our phones, but it's fine for her to talk to her boyfriend!"

"You wimps oughtta be used to the bitch by now." Dilandau brought up as he slapped the officer out of boredom, "Now get to your stations or I'll tie you to a table and whip the white off of your asses!"

"That's impossible..."

"Wanna step up and test it?" Dilandau asked one now very frightened soldier, "Thought so..."

"Können Sie mir glauben, dass Skyl wollte mich wieder einmal nach Tokio-3?" (Can you believe that Kaji wanted me to go back to Tokyo-3?) Asuka asked even as her Demon knelt down with her on it's head, "Hölle keine! Ich werde nicht wieder ihre puppe! (Hell no! I'm not going back to being their doll!)

"Does she ever shut up?" Another pilot asked, a young man with spiky black hair and a ponytail with a red rectangle mark on the left side of his face. "Oh well, I'm getting liger ready."

"What's wrong? Is the brat causing more headaches again?" Dilandau teased, but as usual, couldn't get anything out of that kid, "Whatever..."

"Auf jeden Fall habe ich zu gehen oder diese handlanger werden schraube diese mission, und machen mich schlecht aussehen." (Anyway, I have to go or these stooges will screw this mission up and make me look bad) Asuka said when it looked like she was finally going to shut up, "Ich werde sie bald meine süsse." (I'll see you soon my sweet)

"What's with the eyepatch?" Dilandau asked after jumping into the open hatch of his guymelef, "Trying to be a pirate or something?"

"Whatever floats your boat." Asuka answered as her demon activated, "It's only opaque on the outside anyway, I can still see through it."

"Like I care." Dilandau scoffed as the hanger doors to the transport ship opened, "So who are we killing today?"

"An American Facility with precious cargo." Asuka answered, "All units are authorized to use lethal force on any and all enemy personnel. We take the precious cargo and then leave...so no one die, got it?"

"Ma'am?"

"Yuck...I like it better when you're a bitch..."

"Cause I'm not in the mood to have the stench of your corpses on me when I'm on my date." The Red Valkyrie cried, assuring her team that she was not speaking out of concern for them, "Stay with your assigned groups, no heroics and make this tight and quick."

"Like how you and your precious Kaworu do it-" Dilandau stopped as soon he made eye contact with Asuka on the viewscreen. One second, it looked as though he saw a red bird fly out from her eye patch and then...hell...

"He lasts longer than you probably would...if you even had a dick..." Asuka mocked as she heard and saw Dilandau squirm in agony inside of his cockpit, "Cecielia..."

"Shut up! That's not who..." Dilandau writhed in pain while holding his head, "STOP IT!"

"Why?" Asuka asked when she remembered that a mission was about to start, "Alright..."

"You little bitch!" Dilandau shouted as the team just watched, "You're lucky that there's a lot of people to slaughter or I'd be settling for you!"

"How dare you speak to Lady Sohryu in that manner!" One officer rebuked as he stepped in front of Alsiedes with his modified Gareth, "Permission to kill this foul bastard, ma'am?"

"Don't bother." Asuka answered, figuring that it'd be too boring, "It'll be funnier for Lelu if he gets killed by some random jegan."

"If you kids are done..." Viral started as he marched through the hanger on top of his horse with no concern for the air that was constantly being pumped out due to the high altitude, "It's time for the dive!" With that Viral's horse sped into action and leapt out of the open hanger doors and started to free fall through the air.

"DIVE!" Dilandau shouted when his Alseides unfurled it's wings and flew out of the open hanger, "HA HAH HA!"

"You heard the man!" Asuka shouted to her men as Eva dived through the hanger doors, "COMMENCE OPERATION!"

"YES MA'AM!"

* * *

**Grove's Arcade, District 26**

"Hail Emma! Queen of Tekken!" A woman with a nice figure declared while the crowd of gamers cheered her on along with the baby in her daughter's arms, "Did you like that Fulgor? Like seeing mommy win?"

"Mom...I think he's just hungry..." The fifteen year old said while looking at the small storm cloud that hung over the boy in the blue jacket, "Did you have to beat him so badly in the second match though?"

"He did want a two out of three." Emma said while she left the arcade, "Guess you're too young to be in my league kid."

"There goes your esteem for the night." Ninamori commented as Kanti played a sad serenade on a violin that he pulled out of his head, "You did know that adults played games when they were little too, right?"

"But I had Eddy..."

"A cheap character! That's why you lost," Eri brought her face dangerously close to Naota's, giving the boy a blush and a great look at her...assets, "Want me to give you a happy dance?"

"With all these people watching?"

"Not now you pervert!"

"You're the one who suggested it!"

"I didn't say to do it on the floor of an arcade cafe!"

"Then why did you offer me a dance in a public place anyway?"

"That doesn't mean that it was going to happen here and now!"

"Then you should've waited until afterwards...because now all I can think about is that dance!"

"And how is this my fault?"

"You see?" V pointed out to Jamie and Kiva as they sat at a small circular table, "This is why the youth of this generation should not stake so much of their self-esteem on games meant for entertainment. Even if they are virtual constructs of an activity which they should be able to learn by themselves and act upon in reality. But here it's just another method of opium I suppose."

"You gonna eat that last slice of pizza?"

"Yes I will." V responded as he stabbed said slice of pizza with his knive and slipped it into the mouth of his mask, "Do not ask how I can eat through the mask...it is quite...complicated to explain."

"Hey...what ever floats your boat." Jamie assured the masked man, "I'm just wondering why Coop left so early...he's always here late in the Arcade!"

"Maybe it has something to do with that job that Anabel gave him-"

"IT'S ANAVEL!"

"Whatever..."

* * *

**Back of Grove's Arcade, District 26**

"Why can't anyone get my name right!"

"They do sound alike."

"But you'd think that people would be more reverent of the name of a Zeon Ace who screwed over the earth's sphere with only a handful of Zeon's might?"

"You shouldn't be praising Zeon outloud," Zechs warned the Nightmare of Soloman, "And anyway, are you sure that you should be wearing your uniform here?"

"It's cosplay night." Gato said with a smile as he stood up, "I AM ANAVEL GATO OF THE DELAZ FLEET! WHEN I LEAVE HERE, I WILL DROP A COLONY ON ALL OF YOU WHILE I BANG NINA PURPLETON AND SEND A VIDEO OF IT TO MY RIVAL KOU UDAKI TO MOCK HOW HE'S THE ONLY FEDERATION ACE TO LOSE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD TO HIS RIVAL! ME! ANAVEL GATO! ONE OF THE BARRONS OF THE RED COMET! SIEG ZEON!"

"Fuck yeah! Sieg Zeon!"

"Cool story bro!"

"Can I watch the video!"

"Nice costume!"

"Just don't say that to Kou's face, alright?"

"You see?" Gato sat down exasperated at this younger generation, "They are blissfully unaware of who I am. God bless American censorship."

"I can say the same for myself." Zechs agreed, "Thanks to censorship, I can walk these streets without my mask and no one will recognize me as the leader of the White Fang."

"Don't you just love it when your enemies create bountiful places for you to hide?"

"Or rather when friends emerge from the least likely places?" Zechs brought up, "So how is your plan?"

"It was difficult, but I've convinced one our astray comrades to rejoin us."

"Oh? Who? Anyone I would know?"

"No...I'm not going to spoil the surprise." Zechs understood, everything about the operations of the Seeds of Zeon had to be laid carefully, "But they've been a great help in attaining intel on our next target."

"Remember what I told you," Zechs warned the Zeon Ace, "We don't have as much resources to-"

"That's why your friend agreed to do it." Gato said quite proud of his accomplishment, "Honestly, does he have a cookie for a brain?"

"Probably If he knew that, he'd probably eat it."

"Hey there pretty boys..."

"Listen, I'll make this brief for-" Zechs started until he realized that him and Gato were being held at gunpoint, "Oh great...a punk with a gun."

"Yeah, well I'm also the one whose robbing you!" The man in a hockey mask shouted as he gave a glance at the denizens who stood staring at him like he was an idiot, "What are ya looking at? You can't recognize a stick up when you see one?"

"You're about to die man," A guy in a Joker costume said, "You're like...not supposed to bring a gun here..."

"And what are ya going to do about it?" The thug shouted, "Nothing! Just as I thought! Now go back to eating your pizza!"

"As much as I would love to do just that..." V added, "I am obligated to inform you that your death has been sealed by your inability to foresee exactly how bad of a mistake this venture was."

"How about I put a bullet through that mask, Shakespeare!" The thug threatened while leveling his pistol onto V's face, "Who knows...maybe it'll pretty up the burnt ass face that you must be hiding-" That was when something unseeable burst through the man's chest.

"There's a lesson to be learned from this..." Zechs said to Gato as the two of them saw the thug get lifted into the air by the increasingly visible black tail, "What is it?"

"Never rob a store without researching it's security?" Gato offered while everyone looked at the black armored alien that stood on all fours upside down in the arcade, "Another one?"

"Making fun of burn victims is never funny." Zechs thought out loud as the alien fired it's second mouth through the thug's face, "And I sure hope no one thinks that this is funny."

"Who would?"

"A crowd of deprived and heartless vultures who enjoy watching the worst of the human condition."

"Like the people who made 2 guys, 1 horse-"

"NOT NOW!" Gato shouted as the alien dropped the thug and then fell to the floor, "What is it doing?"

"Just watch." The two watched as the alien picked up a baton and placed a top hat on it's head while it started to dance across the room singing the all too famous song:

_Hello! ma baby!_

_Hello! ma honey!_

_Hello! ma ragtime gal!_

_Send me a kiss by wire!_

_Baby, ma heart's on fire!_

_If you refuse me,_

_Honey, you'll lose me!_

_Then you'll be left alone!_

_Oh, baby, telephone!_

_And tell me I'm your own!__  
_

"Check please!"

"Gato, what about desert?"

* * *

**District 15, Stardust Ace's  
**

"Kamille!"

"Shiro...Michael...Chris...Berny...Kou," Judau greeted as he entered the bar, "Judau?"

"Surprised?" Judau Ashta said while draining a mug, "It's good to see you again."

"It's like one happy reunion." Kou pointed out while setting his cup on top of an already passed out Monsha, "The Knights of the White Unicorn are all back together again."

"Hell..." Hathaway Noah said before hiccuping, "We've even made nice with some of the Red Comet's Barons."

"And here I thought that we wouldn't be talking about the war," Bernard Wiseman laughed out loud, "So how'd you end up in these parts?"

"When you ride the waves, they take you to all kinds of places." Kamille simply answered, "This is a nice city, no sign of termite problems at all."

"Yeah...termites...Crap! I broke another glass..."

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah...termites..." Eleanor said as he carefully picked the broken glass out of the palm of his hand, "You see one swarm of em coming towards you and they'll haunt your nightmares for the rest of your life."

"They can't be that bad-" Kamille was about to chuckle until he saw the deathly pale look on every person in the bar, both defense force member and civilian, "That bad? Was it a mega colony?"

"That's not the problem," Judau offered, "They were twice the size of a mobile suit and shoot acid out of their mouths and wounds." That was when Kamille accidently touched on Judau's thoughts and saw exactly what they had been up against:

_A large green monstrous bug lifted a GM in it's pincers before biting down and bisecting it's victim. Next to it, one of it's comrades was shot through the head and fell as a spring of green liquid sprayed out of the hole in it's hide onto three nearby GM's and burned their armor as their pilots screamed in horror and pain...trapped within the weapon that would soon become their tomb.  
_

"What kind of termites were these?" Kamille asked in horror of the brief image that ran through his mind, "They're not coming back right?"

"We weeded them out," Michael declared loudly with his glass held in the air, "Undermined their superior numbers with superior tactics and teamwork...then killed their queen."

"Sounds like it was some fight," Kamille saw several others nod in agreement, "Glad that you didn't have some idiot like Kojima in charge."

"We did," Kiki slurly commented, "Bastard had us lined right in front of the bugs...and you can imagine the rest...Luckily, Shiro here took command and saved us from getting acid on our asses."

"Hurrah for Commander Amada!"

"I will follow you to the depths of hell and back!"

"Alright...alright...stop kissing my ass for a raise," Shiro told the younger members of his former MS team, "No, you're both drunk...guys?"

"I warned you," Monsha spoke with a haphazard laugh, "And no, I'm not taking them to the barracks this time."

"Should we call the rookie?"

"She's an officer now Eleanor." Shiro corected, "Besides, she wouldn't even know what to do with them. Nah...sober them up, Judau."

"Again?" Judau groaned, "You've gotta get these two to pace themselves, like the rest of us did."

"So Kamille..." Kamille sensed where Shiro was about to go, "Is it true about Solomon marshalling near Luna?"

"That's classified information."

"We hear what we hear," Eleanor tapped the earphones on his shoulder for emphasis, "Sounds like Noah gave you the same warning that we got."

"I'll have to thank him sometime," Chris said while staring at her glass, "He's honestly the only Federation officer that I can stand anymore. Maybe it was the slap."

"That's probably it."

"Thanks Judau..." Chris sarcastically replied while Judau gave a mock salute, "Point is, why marshal an entire fleet near Luna for something that they can't even fight?"

"Noah didn't say anything more, he just told me to stick around here...said that he'd be..." Kamille said to himself as he thought over what he felt from Noah...fear, apprehension...these all but confirmed what was about to happen, "Son of a bitch...you guys don't think that-"

"He's sending the fleet here?" Shiro finished casually, "Even if this turns out to be a false alarm, it'll give us an excuse to fully dust off all of the salvage from the war."

"At least the kid's will have more cool stuff to look at..." Chris commented as well, "You didn't answer my question, Kamille."

"I don't know any more than you guys do. What's the matter? Afraid of being stabbed in the back again, Chris?"

"It's not our own skins," Berny answered for Chris, "But I'm not going to watch another child die..."

"Neither will I," Shiro added as well, "Do you know of any reason why the fleet would even be in stand by?"

"I think I know," Kou reluctantly answered while taking a drink from his mug, "The Right of Deployment...the "Angels" that Rossiu dismissed."

"Speaking of Rossiu," Kamille figured that he might as well get the heavy intel out of the way. Specifically, what the defense force was working with, "Tell me about these rangers that you've been working with..."

* * *

**District 17, Family Day Inn**

"You're in a good mood tonight..."

"You think so?" Misato asked Maya while they relaxed in the living room of the provided hotel room provided to them, "I'm just glad to finally in a building with air condition without some freak of nature come out of nowhere and attack me."

"At least for right now..." Maya said under her breath, "Did you contact the Commander?"

"Short and sweet," Misato answered, "He said to have Unit 03 repaired and transported to HQ asap..."

"What about Toji? Or Shinji and Unit 01?"

"Irrelevant." Misato said in a tone mimicking Gendo's pretty well, "That was his exact answer...no wonder Shinji hates me..."

"You did kind of bring it on yourself," Maya couldn't believe that she'd said something this daring, made it was the scant amount of clothing that she and Misato were wearing that gave her a rush of confidence, but she had to say her piece, "Not to be rude, but you weren't very sensitive to his needs when he was back home. Hell, it sounded like you were bullying him half the time..."

"You're probably right," Misato admitted, "But I had to do something...his own father didn't even care about him and was about to put him in an apartment that's worse than what Rei used to live in."

"Can't imagine that..." Maya had seen Rei's apartment...why did Gendo have her live there? "Still...things aren't going to get better for a while...are they?"

"Sachiel...Shamshel...Ramiel...Gaghiel...Israfel...Clockiel...Matarael..." Misato counted off, "How many are there supposed to be in total?"

"Seventeen..." Maya answered, "So discounting the first three...Nerv has fought seven angels and each one took everything that we had to stop them..."

"And more than we could afford to lose. We lost Asuka after Matarael...Mari was sent to Bethany...so now we only have Rei an active reliable pilot until Toji is fit for duty again..."

"Not to mention Mari and whoever is chosen for Unit 04 once it's completed." Maya brought up, "Did I ever mention that something in the back of my mind regrets taking this job?"

"And the rest of you?"

"Starting to slowly agree," Maya continued, "I mean...once the angels are destroyed, how can we trust bastards like Gendo with the evangelions? What is he going to do with them once-"

"We're not at that point yet," Misato lightly reprimanded, "We need to focus on the angels first and Gendo later. I don't trust him, but when the angels strike, humanity unites against a common enemy."

"Because that turned out so well during the Covenant Contact War." Maya said, "The Arachnid Wars...The Universal Wars...Char's Counterattack...The Eve Wars..."

"Your point?"

"My point is, we can't just turn a blind eye to stuff that isn't right just because there's a bigger problem looming over us."

"What isn't right about our fight?" Misato demanded, "The Angels don't want to negotiate or compromise...they just want us all dead, humanity isn't Gendo. Gendo is just one man."

"And the Angels didn't kill Dr. Katsuragi, not the ones that we're fighting," Maya stated, revealing that she'd done more than look over tech specs while on her computer, "Listen to me Misato, killing the angels won't bring you peace."

"I'm not doing this for peace."

"Whatever..."

"I'm not doing this for petty revenge."

"BULLSHIT!"

"THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY!"

"THEN STOP CRIPPLING THAT FUTURE AND FIND ANOTHER WAY!"

"No!" Misato shouted as she grabbed the remote of a the tv, "NO!" The glass shattered when Misato threw the remote out the window where it would slam into the skull of a would-be rapist, saving it's victim from a fate worse than death and allowing the would-be rapist to die a painful and humiliating death.

"Kaiba's gonna sue us for that..."

"I'm not getting into this again..." Misato breathed while cool air blew into the room and constantly lifted up their loose shirts, "There is no other way! You think that Nerv hasn't tried? Why do you think Shinji and Asuka's mothers ended up dead? My mother? They all died! Every test pilot who was born even a day before the Impact died! Only those born after this can pilot the Evas and the Evas are the only thing that can stop the Angels..."

"I've prayed too many times to remember and every time...I'm denied an alternative to having these children endure this..." Misato went on before leaning against the wall with her knees up to her chest while tears fell down her cheek, "We lose earth...humanity will no longer have a home...a nexus from which we can trace our steps. Even if some of us did survive...whatever is born from the angel's success would hunt them down to the last child...I know that it hurts Maya...but the alternative is simply unacceptable...humanity cannot be risked because of one child's drama."

"The needs of the many...outweigh..."

"The needs of the few...or the one." Misato finished, "You disagree?"

"Yeah..." Maya admitted, "If we have to resort to measures like this...it kind of makes you wonder if humanity is worth saving."

"I hate this whole damned situation..."

"So...this will be a bad time to tell you something?"

"You gave Nerv your two-week notice?" Misato guessed correctly, "I don't blame you..."

"What? You're not mad?"

"Maya...I know what I've said when I say that you leaving Nerv is probably a smart move...you're a technician and a good one. You'll be able to do more for the world in another field..."

"So what about you and Shinji?"

"It's a burden that we have to bear." Misato grabbed her cross necklace as she exhaled, "The whole thing's probably out of my hands anyway...it's just that...of everyone that I've ever known in my life...I never expected him to turn his back on us...on me...so unflinchingly."

"Try looking at this through his eyes." Maya sat down next to Misato to try and keep the colonel from driving herself into suicide, "Maybe he thinks that our backs were turned to him the whole time and he's just...standing up for himself."

"I really messed up...didn't I?"

"No one's perfect...But yes...yes you did."

"Thanks for the honesty..." Misato said when she noticed the empty bear can in Maya's hand, "Where did you get that beer?"

"Penpen got it for me." Maya pointed to the penguin who just stood staring like he thought that this whole situation was needlessly dramatic, "I think he drank the rest of it..."

"Maybe he'll stop if I feed him a fish..."

"You'll need a lot of fish then."

* * *

**Office of General Shepard, Pentagon, USA  
**

Watching a series of brief tapes, General Victor Von Shepard was not having a good morning. Two hours ago, a base of valued importance was completely destroyed with all of it's cargo gone by the time recon and search teams arrived.

"No casualties..." The General said to himself as he overlooked the scant footage from the attack on the Edmonton Supply Base, "And the Department of Motor Vehicles installation was leveled into the ground?"

"Yes sir..." The captain said fearfully while the footage showed a giant blue foot repeatedly mash into a DMV building, "It was weird...the enemy just...stomped on it...and then punched down the wreckage and used up most of it's ammunition wasting what was left!"

"And the base?"

"Stray fire from the enemy." The captain reported confused "He didn't even look at us when he took out our mobile suits...then he just left..."

"And you didn't stop him?"

"Sir...we were lucky to even survive-"

"On your watch, the US government was dealt 30 billion dollars in property damage and the loss of military hardware in a few blinks of the eye." The General said as he lit a cigarette, "And all you did was...fucking watch."

"There was nothing more that I could do!"

"Figures..." The General replied, his mis-colored right eye squinted on reflex, "The more things change...the more that they stay the same..."

"What?"

"Do you have any family captain?"

"No sir..." The Captain replied sadly, "Died during Char's Counterattack and I've been married to the job since-" He was cut off when a bullet from the General's pistol seared through his chest and threw him onto his back.

"Then consider this a divorce." Shepard said to the gasping officer as he took a red can and started pouring it's contents over the officer, "Word gets out that the Federation can't fight off a rogue mecha, the people will lose faith."

"General..." The captain gasped as fluid briefly fell into his mouth, allowing him to taste what was about to befall him, "What are you...gasoline? In your office? You're going to do this here and now?"

"I know you'll understand." Shepard said with regret as he took the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked it onto the officer. Causing flames to ignite on the man while Shepard stared into his eyes, "And I don't give a fuck if you think I'm wrong..."

"General," Someone on the intercomm reported, "You have a call from Ikari, it's about the Right of Deployment...for the next time "they" show up."

"Tell him that I'll be there in a minute." Shepard answered as he saluted the stilled burning body, "Your sacrifice and that of your men will be remembered. History is always written by the victor."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**This took a while to mark up...  
**

**A lot of plot devices are pretty interesting to me and I tried to incorporate them in this story and others that I write. One device would be something known as "The Past". Where one or more characters were involved in a life-changing event in their past that shaped them into who they are today. Seven out of Ten times, this event is a sad and tragic situation that left behind a demon which still haunts the character in question into the present day.  
**

**Maybe their father died and the hero is looking for the monster who killed him? Perhaps a commander failed to save his men and is reminded of that failure? A lost love who either died or broke the hero's heart? You distrust toons because a toon killed your brother by dropping a piano on his head?  
**

**By the way, I can't say or read the last line out loud without laughing...not because the brother died, but because he was killed when a toon dropped a piano on his head!  
**

**In my Parallel Works: Family, I especially used this plot device with a dark humorous twist...but that's treading a fine line between funny and insult. Kind of like making fun of Batman because his parents died. That can't be made into a joke, but you can make that scenario absurdly hilarious by having an old man come out of nowhere and take Bruce to Six Flags where everyone but him is having a good time and then they drop him back off at the corpses of his parents and tell him to stop frowning. Then Bruce punches him.  
**

**Another plot device that is pretty interesting to me is simply known as the Character Introduction/Establishment Moment. This the moment that will solidify in the audience on what they can expect from a character in a story.  
**

**For instance, you'll see the hero do something heroic like rescue a bag of puppies from drowning or save a village from being destroyed by the bad guys. With a jerk, you'll see them doing something like destroy a kid's soccer ball or steal candy from a baby. With an antagonist, they'll execute a more waitress just for fun and then feed her body to their carnivorous pets while they hauntingly smile with glee or give off an evil laugh.  
**

**Point is, you really don't want these scenes to confuse your audience. Don't introduce them doing one thing and then have them do something complete counter to that in adjacent scenes. Example: SCV's major mistake was giving us a heroic protagonist, give him an introductory scene that has the hero kill an innocent man in cold blood with gleeful smile just because he thought he was evil due to being pale and filthy, and then have him do jerkass, evil and outright cruel things throughout the entire story.**

**Also...this story has a tropes page, curious...feel free to add to the page if you wish.**


	19. Ripples through Contentment and Sorrow

**_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Kaiba and Yugi listen to audio tapes from the fight with Jet Alone and are very much okay with it talking on it's own. Kaiba exhibits either great arrogance or bravery by epically telling off "Enoch" and leaving like nothing had happened. Bright Noah makes his first appearance in the story via hologram and warns Kamille about upcoming trouble and that he should stay exactly in the heart of where it will be. Naturally, Kamille doesn't see any problem with this and complies with his orders.  
_

_Shinji visits his injured, but no longer drugged not-girlfriend and misunderstands her feelings for the other boy who pilots an evangelion. In his anger, he gets annoyed with a bitchy reporter and punches her out while her intern rewards him with an interview. The other new mecha pilots get used to their new surroundings, Mamoru gets to watch Kamina, Bulgus and Van enter a three way with their swords...to show off their skill as duelists, Vega and Bit take a shot at Ao for inciting the Medi-chlorian effect, Coop gets tricked into destroying a Federation base by Anabel...I mean Anavel Gato and General Shepard shoots and burns the messenger because he couldn't stop a forty meter tall robot capable of demolishing armies from wiping out his base._

_Where's the fairness in the world, people?_

_I don't care honestly, it's not like I'm getting paid to do this!_

* * *

**Royal Palace of Fanelia**

The Shadow of Doubt hung from his shoulders, heavier than the black cloak whose train ran back to the seat of the steward.

Once an outcast, a traitor and now standing in place of his brother, Folken stood emotionless before the image of a kneeling pyromaniac.

"All this time..." Folken started, "And this is all that you can report to me?"

"I allowed Genome to take you to earth and you have yet to accomplish your mission." Folken watched the affeminine youth shiver, "And yet, you follow the whims of a little girl...while the Winged Goddess remains alive and empowers my brother with their love."

"What do you want me to do? Kill her?" Dilandau asked with a sarcastic laugh, the fool had forgotten his place after all, "You need to be more specific Folken-" Fear defined his features now, fear from feeling Folken's power surge towards him and encase his body in an unseeable cocoon of agony and pain.

"Don't. Mock. Me." Folken watched as Dilandau grabbed his arm, his hand twisting out of place as the Steward of Fanelia broke and dislocated each finger again and again, "Who was it that removed you from within the mind of Lord Allen's sister?"

"Lord Folken!"

"Yes," Folken continued to punish the squirming fool, "Who was it that gave you shape? Gave you a body to call your own form? Granted you my own blood and with it the blood of the black dragon?"

"Lord Folken!"

"Whom do you serve until your pitiful life has come to an end?"

"Lord...Folken..." Dilandau slowly muttered, "LORD FOLKEN!"

"Be sure and remember that." Folken warned when he released Dilandau from his torture, "Do not disappoint me, Dilandau." The young man snarled as a pulse of magic disrupted the air around Folken, but Folken was unaffected and stood still as the former slayer of Zaibach was stricken by Folken's counterattack and fell onto his back, his eyes twitched with pain as the fool slowly breathed.

"You need time to your thoughts," Folken said as the image of Dilandau began to fade, "Continue in your fun, but do not forget your mission."

"Lord...Folken..."

"Incredible..." A nearby chambermaid said in awe, "My lord...to deflect and harm Dilandau when he is such a distance away from Gaea?"

"You are amazed by this power?" The girl blushed when Folken brought his face close to her's and he soothed his finger along her chin, "Don't be. This power is nothing more than an opium sent by the gods to deceive us into believing that we have control over our lives and our fate."

"But did this power not allow you survive death when Dornkirk struck you?"

"I don't believe it did..." Folken answered the girl, "My survival was always guaranteed, always fated. No matter the path that we take, all roads will lead to where they were determined to lead."

"Sir..." The girl started, she was curious of the unknown apparently, "What of paths that intersect?"

"They will lead wherever they were meant to lead." Folken answered as his cloak wrapped around him, "Leave me."

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

"It is good to you see again, Folken"

"Thank you Keelz, though I won't say the same for you." The Council of Seele heard Folken greet, "Where is Rosewater?"

"On a tour at my expense," Ikari answered, "His memories will be essential to our plans, so I felt that it would only be fitting for him to see just how far our design reaches."

"What of the beast from the Age before Time?"

"Akagi is transporting it." Ikari went on, "The last facility was deemed unfit to keep it in check."

"Understatement of the hour, Ikari," Seele 08 argued, "You should destroy that creature while you have the means to do so."

"Irrelevant," Ikari quickly answered, "Is the Lunar Fleet prepared?"

"They will be-"

"That was a yes or no question, Admiral," Ikari clarified to the hidden Federation Admiral, "Once the Right of Deployment is issued, I will need all speed to ensure that it is carried out swiftly. I will broker nothing less, is that clear?"

"Hackett and Noah are-"

"Irrelevant," Ikari said again, "Silence them and their constituents if you have to."

"What is this Right of Deployment?"

"An emergency power granted to Nerv's predecessor after the Impact which was then carried over to Nerv." Ikari explained to Seele 00, "In the event of an Angel attack, Nerv will have the authority to command and mobilize any necessary portion of Federation and other allied forces in order to counter the Angel Threat."

"Simple enough..." Seele 00 replied, intrigued with the new information, "But why bother? The angels are trying to attack Nerv HQ and Sachiel already proved the uselessness of the Federation Forces against them."

"Unless..." Folken spoke, "Have the Dead Sea Scrolls spoken of a possible relocation for the next angel attack?"

"Not the scrolls," Ikari answered, "A much more reliable source has informed me of another way that the angels could attack us."

"The grove."

* * *

**Tokyo-3 International Airport**

"SCIENCE! ENERGY! SCIENCE! ENERGY!" A sixty year old traveler watched an overhead commercial with amusement, "Electrolytes, power lights, more lights than YOUR BODY HAS ROOM FOR!" Despite how absurdly over the top the commercial was, a lot of young men had become pumped by the subject matter as if being rallied.

"Does that drink actually work?"

"I've actually tried it," A man in his late twenties with his hair tied into a tail on his back answered when he sat down next to the traveler, "All it does is really boost what you already have."

"You'll be so fast; Mother Nature will be like SLOOOOOW DOOOOWN!" The commercial went on, "And you'll be like FUCK YOU and kick her in the face with your ENERGY LEGS!"

"So it's not a scheme by Kaiba."

"At least not one that he'd be bothered to pull." "Nervous?"

"Cut to the chase, am I about to die?"

"Not that I'm aware of..." "Why? Are you about to silence me on your student's orders?"

"Don't worry about that..." The Traveler assured his friend, "I've dismissed myself from that man's company."

"Finally couldn't take it anymore?" The young man humorously asked, "I'm surprised that you lasted this long."

"I should say the same for you."

"So where are you off to now?"

"First, I'm going to do what I should've done when the Fourth Angel was defeated," The former vice-commander of Nerv started, "Then I'll retire to someplace cool and bereft of moral compromise to live out the rest of my days in whatever peace I can gather."

"And you really think that you'll find it?"

"I certainly won't find it in Nerv," The old man stated, "I should've realized it when Yui left us...left Gendo and Shinji to fend for themselves...likely know that they'd fall apart without her."

"What about her daughter?"

"Just how far have you been prying Kaji?"

"Struck a nerve?" The old man refused to give any secret now that his suspicions had been baited, "Yeah...I've been doing that to a lot of people lately."

"Who else are you working for? The Black Knights? The Black Prince? Londo Bell? The damned Silver Hawks?"

"You're not the only one whose jumping ship," Kaji stated, "Hell! I've forgotten whose side I was originally on...I guess it doesn't matter now...does it?"

"So where are you going?" Kaji held up a ticket showing his destination, a location that made the old man scoff, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Believe it or not, I was actually invited," Kaji explained, worriedly looking over the ticket as he did, "I think that I'm going to die..."

"You'd be the lucky one...you get to die young and heroic," The old man casually assured the triple...quadruple...agent, "Me...I've lived too long...lived to see myself become the villain."

"Dark Knight fan?"

"I always used to think of myself as Commissioner Gordon..." Fuyutski admitted to answer Kaji's question, "A normal police officer whose armed with intelligence, honor and integrity...enough to earn the respect of a hero who operates outside of the world's laws. In truth...I'm probably more alike to a henchman of Mr. Freeze."

"Iceman cometh!" Kaji called out, earning a threatening glare from various young people wearing Dark Knight shirts or reading Batman comic books, "What? Don't tell me that you've never watched Batman and Robin for a good laugh."

"I actually wish my Mr. Freeze was as funny," Knowing who the former vice-commander was talking about, Kaji noticed a dark irony, "Now I'm afraid that he's lost sight of that which he wishes to find...or maybe he's so fixated on the woman in her frozen prison...that he ignores the child who cries for his love and his acknowledgement...and only turns to the boy when he needs him to pick away at the impenetrable prison."

"You've thought a lot about this...haven't you?"

"Doesn't matter..." The intercomm activated and called for the next flight to board, "There's my flight."

"Mine too!" Kaji exclaimed when he grabbed Fuyutski's bags along with his own, "Relax...I killed all of the guys following me...or maybe they were after you? Both of us?"

"Did you now?" Fuyutski didn't doubt Kaji's boast, he just didn't want to think about how he did so, "You're awfully clean for someone who just got out of a fight."

"Here's the thing..." Kaji explained when the intercomm called for a clean-up in Parking Lot T-83, "A fight implies that both sides had a chance of winning."

* * *

**Bethany Nerv Containment Area**

Another cigarette went out, so she threw it over the rails.

The doctor stood in the protected control center of an elaborately large cage. One that would house a cargo from before time was even comprehended. From box-shaped windows, multiple mobile suits and knightmare frames pointed their weapons at the shaking box that was lured into the cage. The cargo within eventually ceased it's attempts to escape while the doctor yawned.

"This guy looks pretty hungry..." A nearby technician gulped while monitoring the surveilance camera within the cargo box, "Hard to believe that he used to be king of the dinosaurs-"

"King? More like a god before it's time," Dr. Akagi scoffed as the box was lowered into an opening a the bottom of the cage, once secured, a large platform slid over the bottom of the cage and obscured the box from naked sight, "Hyuga, the truth is that there was no first tyrannosaurus rex. The skeleton that the media displayed was a carefully studied and crafted fake to amaze and distract the masses from the increasing cost of living."

"So we found nothing?"

"We found him." Ritsuko answered, "It was found frozen in sub-zero temperatures close to the border between the Earth's Crust and the Mantle. From geographic studies, we concluded that this creature was hit by a large piece of debris that caused it to fall into what was at the time a large lake...the creature was unable to swim to the surface due to it's small and unflexible arms. It's strength comes from it's jaw and it's leg strength."

"How is it still alive then?"

"We haven't figured it out," Ritsuko partially admitted, being careful to leave out details that were above the technician's pay grade, "But it possesses a remarkable amount of physical endurance, strength, and sheer determination once it spots it's prey. In fact, there's evidence of various episodes where the specimen endured injuries that should kill any other creature of it's kind, but this one somehow survived each and everyone of them."

"Survival of the fitness, my dear," Ritsuko heard her tolerated guest comment, "Apparently, this creature possesses the sheer will to survive all obstacles, even the onset of an extinction level meteor. The Will of a being who dominated his world with absolute authority and power."

"Or it was extremely lucky," Ritsuko sarcastically countered, earning a chuckle from Mr. Rosewater's son, "A simple apparition that has lived too far beyond it's time and now merely exists in a world that it will never be able to adapt in."

"Then why allow it's DNA to be used in the "Neo-Zilla" Project?"

"Just because it can't cope, doesn't mean that it's not of use," Ritsuko noted, "I heard that it was able to match the original King of Monsters himself before he was captured...but both are out of their element."

"Excuse me ma'am," The Security Captain asked, "Permission to engage the feeding mechanism?"

"Granted," Ritsuko quickly answered while a Gustav Karl MS walked along the platform's surface and set up the feeding mechanism for the caged beast, "Problem child?"

"This is sad..." Rosewater's son lamented, though his face retained a cold smile, "A King doesn't want to be fed, it wants to hunt."

"A king is not placed within a cage," Ritsuko pointed out as meat was fed through the mechanism, "If he wants to hunt, then he shouldn't have been captured. The captive have no say in what they eat."

"As long as they remain captive."

"Ma'am..." The Gustav Karl reported, "It's not eating."

"Guess it's not hungry." Ritsuko concluded, "Cease feeding procedure and call it a night-" The doctor was interrupted when a large crash rocked the entire cage and knocked the Gustav Karl over the opening in the platform. The Security Captain cried out as the MS was savagely pulled into the small opening and nothing was heard except for metal crunching and slowly silenced screaming.

"See?" Wayne Rosewater pointed out, "It wanted to hunt."

"WHAT THE FUCK-" Another Security officer yelled as a green-brown creature burst out from the platform of it's cage and roared a thunderous roar that broke the glass of the observation deck, "HOLY...FUCKING...SHIT...IT'S A DINOSAUR!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

"They didn't know that they were monitoring a dinosaur?"

"There's a difference between knowing and seeing," Ritsuko commented, "Know that they see it, they're reactions are common gibberish like, "Oh my fucking god! Fucking dinosaur!"

"HOLY SHHHIIIITTT!"

"WHAT...THE...FFFFUUUUUCCCCKKKK!"

"If you're all done! It's trying to escape!"

"IT'S JUMPING AND CLIMBING!" The Security Lieutenant noted as his security window was breached by the sharptooth dinosaur, "ENGAGE PROTOCAL ATLAS!"

"Increasing Gravity Pull to 300%" Hyuga said as the gravity within the cage increased to levels that would crush must humans to a complete pulp, but the dinosaur designated "Sharptooth", remained unaffected as it picked out a GM III and ate it while ignoring fire from his captors, "Subject is resisting!"

"Hammerfall Unit?" Ritsuko asked, having seen this situation before, "Engage at will."

"Understood." A young girl answered when the top of the cage opened up and down dove a green Evangelion with multiple legs and a large hollow lance, "Point blank shithead!" Eva Uni 05 stabbed it's lance through the Sharptooth's back, causing it to succumb to the force of 300 times gravity and plummet into the depths with Eva falling above it. The area shook when both massive creatures hit the ground, Ritsuko watched as Unit 05 stomped on the creature's jaws to close them and embedded it's lance further into the dinosaur.

"The target is silent..." The Security Sargeant reported, "Unit 05 has it contained."

"Send in the clean-up team to get it into it's cage." Ritsuko commanded, "Mari! Provide ranged cover."

"Got it, hag." Ritsuko growled at the show of disrespect, "Sorry, I meant Old Hag."

"I really hate that little bitch." Ritsuko admitted, though she would wait to really show that little brat a peace of her mind, "Great is retribution for the patient."

"Out of it's element, right?" Wayne Rosewater asked, trying to rub Ritsuko's apparent oversight into her face, "Perhaps you are the one who is obsolete, Dr. Akagi."

"Watch your mouth young man-"

"My son is merely speaking his mind, no need to punish him." Mr. Rosewater said in defense of his son, "So much like his darling angel of a mother when she was with us. But a king is still a king, my dear. Even when it's removed from it's kingdom, the king simply creates a new one to join with the old."

"My mother was right about you...Anyway, my retribution approaches."

"Hey hag!" Mari shouted over the comm, "The team has the beast in it's cage, what are your orders?"

"Tell the team to inject more tranquilizer fluid into it's skin then leave the cage." Ritsuko commanded as Mari hauled up the stunned beast and allowed a team of GMs to stab it with long lances to further subdue it, "Some king...it may have been king of it's world, but it's in our world now...the world of humankind."

"You mean mankind my dear," Rosewater corrected, "Feminist views aside, this is the world of men."

"And when you men destroy each other, woman shall inherit the earth."

"Or what's left of it when we're done with our destructive quarrels."

* * *

**Angel Groove Medical Center**

"Hi Hikari!"

"Hey Annie..." Hikari greeted the little red head that bounced onto her bed, "Hitomi? Nia? Mrs. Smith? What are all of you doing here?"

"They came here to visit you silly!"

"She's probably tired from all of the therapy." Hitomi guessed while everyone took a seat around Hikari, "You like Hospital food?"

"Oh...I don't mind and it was..." Hikari looked at the near-empty plate on the table next to her bed, "Left here by Shinji."

"Cute." Dorothy observed when she picked up a crumb and ate it, "Light dash of cherry spice...Greek salt...wait, Spartan salt...lemon juice...and black pepper from Mars...he put a lot of effort into a simple breakfast."

"He does love to cook," Nia said, "But I was to believe that only women should cook food for the men?"

"Who said that?"

"Put that thing away, Leena." Hitomi told Leena, who reluctantly stashed her shotgun into the bust of her shirt, "How does it even fit in there?"

"It's called having a heavy bust." Leena answered, causing Hitomi to notice her small her bust was in comparison, "Relax! I don't really know either...dad's the one who designed the dress."

"Your dad designed the dress? Explains the tacky color scheme."

"Says the princess who walks around in a school uniform most of the time and the most teasing formal dress in the world."

"Look...I didn't design that Fanelian dress, it was a gift from a merchant that me and Van knew." Hitomi answered, whistling from Van's reaction when she first wore said dress, "Fanelians aren't very conscious about modesty, alright?"

"What's modesty?"

"Modesty is not dressing like trash, Annie." Dorothy explained to her daughter, "Or better yet, it's dressing in clothes that are appropriate for where you're going."

"So...not wearing pajamas to go over someone's house?"

"Exactly."

"Then why is Noriko in her pajamas?"

"Hey!" Noriko walked over to Annie, picked her up and started tickling her on Hikari's bed, "This is an officer's custom uniform you little squirt!"

"Officer?"

"Yeah, I got promoted!" Noriko cheered, giving Annie a chance to jump on the DF member and start her own tickle barrage, "Hey! Not the stomach! Anywhere but there!"

"Can I tickle someone?"

"Okay! Hurry and tickle Noriko before she gets up-"

"Too late!" Noriko shouted when she flipped onto her feet and started tickling Annie while the little girl was still latched to her, "You've got skill, but I've got guts and courage!"

"Are we really going to watch this?"

"Let em have their fun."

"I'm not going to watch," Nia smiled as she walked behind Noriko and started tickling her back, "Surprise-"

* * *

**Don't...Ask...**

Multiple worlds revolved around their stars, engulfed in blooms of light and energy when those stars were destroyed.

The people upon those worlds cried out in one voice before death silenced their voices, before energy melted away their bodies.

But they continued in sorrow, defeat and pain...even as their children cried...

Cried as beams of light and shadow evaporated their bodies...

Cried as the front of their skulls were pried from their struggling writhing forms...

Cried as their oppressors drained their very blood from the veins of their bodies...

Cried as they and their neighbors were crucified upon great black towers...

Cried as brothers was forced to kill an enemy that resembled their fallen family and loved ones...

Cried as their towering foes restrained and prodded their very soul...

Cried as their leaders remained silent to their pain, slain before anyone knew that war was upon them...

Cried as their greatest work was turned against them as a harbinger of their destruction...

In the center of the pain was a single being...a being shrouded completely in a vortex of red and dark energy as the world upon which he stood and the worlds around that world all darkened. The being opened his eyes, eyes that were little more than tiny red orbs that held no remorse or pity...

...Nemesis...

* * *

**Back to Reality**

"I..." A still Noriko put down Annie and turned to leave, "I need to go..."

"Noriko?"

"Bye!"

"What was that about?" Hikari asked, "Annie?"

"Annie?" Dorothy bent down to her shaking and tearful daughter, the child silently grabbed her mother, "What happened?"

"Nia?" Leena asked Nia, who remained on her knees with widened eyes, "Your face just became really pale...okay..."

"I believe that we should go." A concerned Dorothy nodded to the girls and carried her daughter out of the room, "It will be alright Annie, just tell me what happened."

"What if..." Nia started, "If I told you...told you that I saw something? A thousand different somethings all weaved together like a flashing photo movie that just keeps repeating and repeating itself over and over again at maximum volume to where you feel like you're drowning?"

"Maybe I should take a look..."

"Hitomi, you really shouldn't-" Before Nia could protest further, Hitomi had already melded her mind with Nia's.

"I don't see anything..." Hitomi answered, "Your friend might've shown all of you her memories when you guys touched."

"My friend? How did you know about her?"

"You wouldn't be the first," Hitomi explained, "Besides, you seemed more occupied than usual and I took a peek into your thoughts while we were going to Hikari's room. That was when I sensed two different flows of thought...who is she?"

"Could I...talk to you about it later?"

"Sure." Hitomi said when Nia rushed out of the room, further confusing Hikari, "Don't worry about it! Children always get scared of their own imaginations, I wouldn't be so-"

"Hitomi..." Hikari stared straight into the older girl's eyes, "Annie is a very calm girl for her age...likely because she's used to the unusual given her family circumstances; Nia has spent the last year or so with a group of hyperactive badasses who have enough energy between them to power the entire Colonial Axis; and Noriko once had a gun pointed to her face once and she just smiled before asking if the gunman had a bad day! Something happened! What was it?"

"They don't really know themselves, so I'm going to let them answer that, alright?" Hitomi asked when she saw Hikari fume and throw a pillow at the window, "What?"

"Sorry...I've just been so...pent up lately..."

"Between the attacks on the city, getting drugged by a pervert chef, kidnapped by a giant skyscrapper wearing a trench coat, nearly being abducted by a robot scorpion and then botching up your chances with Shinji-" Hitomi exhaled when she calmly caught the blade of Hikari's katana, "Okay...how did you sneak that past security?"

"Pidgeons..." Hikari replied when she quickly sheathed the sword and put it under her bed, "A flock of them carried it through my window."

"Pidgeons...right..." Hitomi scoffed, "Merle?"

"It was Lord Van's orders..." The catgirl apologetically explained when she appeared next to a surprised Leena, "He wanted to make sure that Shinji's lady was able to fend off any more attacks or attempted abductions."

"How sweet of him..."

"What the hell is everyone talking about?"

"It's okay Leena," Hitomi assured the confused Zoids ace, "Not all of us can have talents behind blowing things up or shooting them."

"Just like not everyone can be fooled by superstitious mumble jumble."

"What if I told you to duck in three seconds?"

"Why-" Leena barely managed to follow Hitomi's instructions before a baseball soared through Hikari's room and hit the space in the wall where Leena's head originally had been. She whistled when she saw smoke rise from the ball and then glanced at a waiting Hitomi, "Shut up..."

* * *

**Kaiba's Office**

"So when do I start Mr. Kaiba?"

"Immediately," Seto Kaiba said to Dr. Tauros, "With this hefty collection of zoids at my disposal, my defense force can stop complaining that I never supply them."

"But I'm the one giving away the zoids-"

"Under my orders," Kaiba pointed out, "Get used to it, everything that has my name on it guarantees that I'll get full credit for everything that's done, even if I had nothing to do with it."

"Like George Lucas and Star Wars?"

"Exactly." Kaiba answered, "By the way, your team is under my control too."

"Okay."

"You're...very much okay with this."

"I was going to retire as the Blitz Team Manager anyway," Tauros explained, "Jamie has a better head between his shoulders, he'll manage them well when the Grand Prix starts up."

"Meanwhile, I'll receive a hefty portion of the winnings?"

"Fine and that will go to my son's treatment."

"And so we segway into tragic territory," Kaiba said when Tauros smile gave way to a solemn frown, "Oh come on! It's not like he'll never make a recovery! It's just a matter of how much of a recovery you were hoping for."

"I know that you're only trying to help..." Tauros stated as he took out a photo of his family, "But I've made my peace with this situation..."

"Of course you have Dr. Tauros," Kaiba nodded when he looked at the photo of Tauros with his wife, daughter Leena and his son, Leon, "That's why you came to me to help your hopeless son."

"And what else was I supposed to do?" Tauros asked like he was on trial, "Leena begged me to do something! Anything! The only reason that I thought you could help was because our Ace Pilot happened to be a miracle grower!"

"What?"

"Bit's the reason that Leon has any...speck of hope..." Tauros exhaled while Kaiba waited for the weather to turn downcast, "I don't how what he did and he regrets that he couldn't do more...but that act gave Leena hope...hope that I will not take from her. As for me, I dare not hope."

"Gee...I'm sure your son will appreciate your outlook when he recovers."

"Assuming that I'll be around to see it." Tauros said more to himself than Kaiba, "What happened to Leon...destroyed a part of me...killed it...and whether he survives or not...it has taken it's toll on me."

"What? Are you dying?"

"No...it's just a feeling," Tauros inhaled once more and excitedly picked up a red blade liger, "Anywho! I have some zoids to work on! Thank you for your time Mr. Kaiba!"

"Whatever..." Kaiba said as the Zoid's Manager flew his toy zoid while exiting the office, "Sheesh! What is it with all of these schizos in town? One minute, they're depressed as hell and the next they start dancing like it's spring!"

* * *

**Fanelian Embassy**

"What was that!"

"You must calm yourself-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Nia screamed at the other presence in her mind, "This is...infuriating...you are infuriating!"

"Nia?" Yoko asked when she entered the room, "Are you alright-"

"Don't come in here!"

"This is my room!"

"Then go to Kamina's room!" Realizing who she just yelled at, Nia dropped her head and walked out, "I am sorry...I will go to my room..."

"Are you sure that I can't help-"

"No...no...you can't..." Nia said as she slammed the door behind her and made her way to her own room, "See what you made me do?"

"I did no such thing-"

"Then where did all of those images come from!"

"It was nothing that I caused-"

"That had never happened before so it had to have been you-"

"Not directly." The presence answered, "All I did was cipher that which was sent into your mind."

"Sent into my mind?" Nia asked, confused at what the presence had said, "It didn't come from you?"

"No..." Nia sat on her bed as the presence continued, "What you witnessed were glimpses and emotions from a time before my life was sang into being. A time from before your father fell into darkness."

"But you said that you were a cipher?"

"Yes." The presence answered, "I had learned and seen that which you just witnessed. Though that conflict was long since passed, I could make sense and understand...understand that I was seeing into the rise of the Antithesis...the creation of the Anti-spiral and the death of our forerunners."

"I...I see..." Another question prodded Nia's mind, "I this...is this what father saw?"

"Nia..." Nia sensed uncertainty within the presence, "I do not know what happened to your father...as our struggle continued...his hearing became burdened...burdened with a chorus of standing shadows. His voice became siphoned with fear...it eminated with a voice that chilled and discorded those who heard it. Even when we neared the homeworld of their world...fear had shattered his mind. Fear of his own power, fear of what would come of this victory, fear that feed into despair..."

"He...Why didn't it stop after the Anti-thesis was defeated?"

"Because he had come to accept his despair as his own." The Presence continued, "The chorus of our enemies saturated deep into his being, too deep for even the bonds with his companions to change that. Too deep for him to turn back from his betrayal...or from his actions of late."

"How do you know about them?"

"From you," The Presence explained further, "I know that Aether now impels his own people...fear still imprisons his mind...causing him to believe that all is lost."

"Fear? He hides it well if that is true."

"It has become a way of life. He believes himself prey to an inevitable fate."

"What fate?"

"Nemesis," Nia recalled what Simon told her about the encounter with Enoch and suddenly she felt chilled, "I only know of it from the whispers that Aether would release. An event where all the forces of evolution would spiral out of control and destroy all of existence, exhausting the energies of the mortal realms even as it's voice becomes strained and unable to fully annunciate itself. That is why the Anti-thesis sought to destroy all life capable of expanding the spiral, that is the genesis of our war...a war that began before my life had been sung into existence."

"It started before you were born? How? Why?"

"I only know of this through echoes from the constant blabber of Water," The presence seemed both annoyed and fond of the individual named Water, "There was a Federation much like the one here on earth. One that spanned throughout the galaxy and beyond. One formed from the chaos of destruction and victory and at its center was a mighty Forge. This Federation formed much that still exists today, but they were destroyed by inward warfare. One chorus clashed with another and stars shattered before their meeting."

"Do you know more?"

"It is not a thing that I can speak of..." The Presence also seemed affected by what Nia had seen before, "Not alone, not without one who was there."

"Nia?" Nia heard someone call from outside her room, "It's Hitomi, Yoko told me to check on you-" Hitomi was interrupted when Yoko kicked down the door and entered.

"Was it necessary for you to kick my door in half?"

"You did lock it."

"If you were going to do that then why ask me to check on her?"

"Didn't you know that she'd do that?"

"Honestly...no."

"Ha! So it is mumble jumble!"

"Pint down!" Yoko answered, "So talk to us. What's troubling you?"

"Apart from the voice in my head and vivid nightmarish images of death and destruction that still plague my waking consciousness?" Nia asked the older girls, "Nothing."

"About the first two..." Hitomi started, "Just tell us one thing...what made think that it was a good idea to join your soul with the soul of the Cyclopsis pilot?"

"How did you know that it was the Cyclopsis pilot?"

"You just told me and I saw it a few minutes ago." Hitomi replied, "Just explain it to us."

"Alright..." Nia agreed, "It happened a few days ago while the Exhibition was occurring..."

* * *

**Command Center SO-Level Classified Hanger**

"Abort start-up sequence!"

"Negative!" A technician cried as the entire hanger shook from the creature that fought against it's restraints, "The abort signal is being blocked! It's fighting against the restraints!"

"AT FIELD LEVELS INCREASING! IT'S SPREADING IT'S WINGS!"

"I told you to eject the Dummy Plug!"

"We did!" Another technician said to Mokuba, "We're gonna die! We can't shut down the armor!"

"Nerve Staples now!" Mokuba ordered and watched with resigned guilt as the creature squirmed, "Again!" As another pulse of energy was shot through the creature's spine, it calmed down and it's eyes faded out.

"Animus is calming down..." A technician with orange hair that obscured his freckled face stated, "Activity levels returning to normal."

"The armor isn't ready yet after all," Mokuba lamented, "Put it back into the vault and tell teams Zulu and Haftu that they'll have to put in overtime."

"Understood." The technician stated, "Can I go home...I mean to my apartment after this?"

"Yes Briefers, you can go."

"It's Briefs, okay?"

"Whatever floats your boat," Mokuba said to the geeky boy, "Even with the data that Mikey gave me...it's still not enough...I can't even call this a step forward."

"Why not just give up the whole project?"

"I would've been better off having never started at all..." Mokuba admitted to Briefs, "But I was hasty...I had no idea about what it took to create an Evangelion from scratch. I didn't care, I thought that it would be cool."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what had to be done." Kiyal assured him, "She...volunteered for the procedure, her life would've ended regardless of rather or not you'd..."

"Maybe...and that's why I can't stop," Mokuba said to himself, "What I've done to Miss Anono...is unexcusible...if I give up now, it will be unforgivable. What she gave up cannot be salvaged."

"What did she..." Thankfully Kiyal recanted her question, "Better yet, I don't think I want to know..."

"Thanks for that Kiyal," Mokuba thanked his friend and then took a long look at the creature that stood restrained, "This is supposed to be humanity's line of defense against the angels? Makes you wonder if we're worth saving...if this is what we have to turn our hopes to."

"And the pilot?"

"Assuming we find one you mean? God have mercy on their soul because Animus sure won't."

"Hopefully, we won't need Animus."

"Even Shinji decides to bail...then we may not even have a choice."

* * *

**Blitz Pad**

"So you've settled in nicely..." Vega said when entered Ao's room after knocking and found him sitting on his mattress with both windows open, "Should I leave?"

"No." Ao replied, "Just letting some air flow through here."

"Or wind?"

"Sure," Ao answered, "What's up?"

"Just checking on you," Vega simply answered, "Like your room?"

"It'll work, it's better than the room I used to have."

"What was that one like?"

"A box with grafitti all over it."

"Okay...new subject," Vega decided and saw a picture of a young woman on Ao's dresser, "Whose this cute girl?"

"My mom."

"Oh!" A little panicked, Vega immediately dispelled certain thoughts from his mind, "She really looks like she's our age."

"Good genetics I guess," Ao answered in a hurry, "She's in Jaburo, got it? She left me with some old man when I was three and the next time I heard about her was a year ago. She got mixed up with a gang called the White Fang and got life imprisonment."

"Harsh..."

"Not really, the Fangs were a bunch of maniacs..." Ao explained with growing discontentment, "They built a space-fortress with gun strong enough to put the planet into a Nuclear Winter and when the gun got taken out, they tried to smash the station into the planet and had to be blown apart."

"And you really think your mom was with them?"

"Hell if I know," Ao said, flipping onto his feet and grabbing a nearby surfboard, "Doesn't change that she ditched me and my life's been a move from one beating to the next."

"Until you met us." Vega said, hoping to raise this kid's spirits, "Just don't break any of the Doc's model kits."

"How do you take him seriously?"

"I don't," Vega admitted, "I just smile and go on with my business. In any case, he's been pretty good to me, so he's like family."

"You've had a hard time with people?"

"Comes with the territory of being trained as a living weapon," Vega answered, "They raise you to use deadly zoids capable of wiping out cities and to be a lethal zoid warrior to the point that it's hardly fun...but as soon as you want to do something else...you get guilt-tripped or worse."

"People suck...don't they?"

"Not all of them, some just don't know any better."

* * *

**District 17, Family Day Inn**

"Why...Pen Pen...why?" Misato lamented as her penguin gulped down yet another can of beer right after Misato got home from buying it, "Isn't that stuff poisonous for you?"

The penguin quickly crushed the empty can against it's head and marched back to it's personal refrigerator. How did she piss off Pen-Pen? The penguin practically owes her his life but hasn't let her have a sip of beer since Shinji was abducted...

Maybe that was it.

"It's not like I set him up," Misato said to herself, "Can't wait till every last angel is gone, then I can give the "Commander" a piece of my mind!"

"What's stopping you know?"

"Shut it Maya!" Misato shouted at her roommate in the shower getting ready for an interview. She was just about to take another nap when she heard a knock at the door, "Who is it?"

"Colonel Katsuragi?" A kind yet stern voice asked, "My name's Roger Smith, could I come in?"

"Sure..." Misato answered and opened the door, "Welcome."

"Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"No...I'm a guest in this city, so none of my time is booked for squat."

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"Like what?" Mr. Smith inhaled and focused his face on Misato's, "Oh...sorry about the attire. I'm usually better dressed for work, this is about the only clothes that I have that don't have holes or tears in them."

"Oh yes, I heard about your encounter with the Decepticons."

"You've met em?"

"Not personally, one of their agents is being held at our Command Center." Roger explained, "It was found attempting to abduct a girl named Hikari Horaki."

"Hikari?" Misato knew the name from Shinji's class, she was the class representative before being transferred to a new academy, "Is she alright?"

"She should be checked out in a day or two." Roger assured the Colonel, seemingly assured himself of the woman's reaction to Hikari's situation, "But truth be told, I'm surprised to see you here so far from home or work."

"Cut to the chase Negotiator." Misato stated when she sat on her couch and crossed her legs, "I'm glad to know that one of Shinji's friends is alright, but we both that's not why you're here."

"It's true." Roger freely admitted, "Since we've decided to drop facades, then do go on Colonel. Could you explain how Shinji Ikari was recruited into your organization as the pilot of Unit 01?"

"You're talking to me like I'm enjoying any of it..." Misato was about tired of feeling like she was on trial, "You think I like throwing him out there? You don't think that I would trade anything to take his place?"

"This is not a trial, Colonel..."

"Misato's fine."

"Very well, Misato." Roger agreed, "I'm simply trying to help everyone here to understand the full scope of Shinji's dilemna and how it is confusing him to the point of tearing apart his mental state of being."

"I didn't...know..." Misato admitted, "I thought that his father had told him everything...when I brought Shinji to NERV...he knew nothing...about the Eva...the Angels...nothing. I didn't much of it...at first, I thought that since the Commander was the head of Nerv that naturally he wouldn't have much time for his son..."

"Turns out, it was much worse." Roger added, "His father commanded him to pilot Eva without explanation and told him to leave if he wouldn't. Then Shinji changed his mind when his father was about to place an injured pilot into the Eva-"

"I won't make excuses for his actions...or mine...but there was nothing else we could do," Misato explained, recalling the first battle with Sachiel and the devastation that it left, "At the time, we only had one other pilot and she was too injured to be able to pilot...and our other available trained pilot was in Germany. Shinji was the only one who could pilot Eva or else the Angel would have won."

"Why was he left in the dark? Why didn't anyone inform him?"

"I thought that it was taken care of-"

"You made an assumption." Roger commented with unhidden disapproval, "Without a clear picture of the child's relationship with his father, you assumed that he would have been made aware of code-S classified information. Did you or anyone else attempt contact with the child before you "recruited" him?"

"The kid was moved all over the place, it was impossible to get a clear picture." Misato stated, "One report had him with Dr. Keyes, then we had him at Citadel Station undergoing alliance investigation...I didn't know what to expect when I picked him up...and his father didn't say shit about ever having a son until..."

"Until he needed him." Roger finished, "It's pretty clear what your organization did from your account and what Shinji has told us and what he doesn't need to say. Looks like Nerv had already made up it's mind on it's pilot for Unit 01 a long time ago. Right around when his mother died, his father abandoned him and had him shuttled from home to home, giving him to apathetic and unattached guardians whom he wouldn't be able to form a familial bond with. That way, he would be conditioned to desire the love a parent that he probably knows would never love him and act to do whatever it took for that love."

"That's a large assumption, negotiator."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that I'm wrong, colonel."

"Mr. Smith." Misato started to counter him and then stopped because there was nothing to counter with, "Damn it all..."

"And you were his former guardian?"

"I'm still his guardian."

"As approved by Nerv," Roger corrected, "Whom Shinji no longer works for."

"That's not your decision to make."

"It's his and he's already made it."

"How do I know that none of you coerced him into making that decision? Did you promise him a rank, paycheck, rights an adult and hookers if he stayed?"

"No one coerced him into anything. We've simply treated him with the respect that he deserves."

"What respect does a deserter have?"

"Apparently we've mixed the definitions for deserter and forcefully conscripted child soldier."

"If that's all Negotiator..." Misato stood up, really not in the mood to continue this conversation, "I will not sit here and let you accuse me while you excuse Shinji for turning his back on his responsibilities-" That was when Misato's day got a whole lot worse because a young man in a red shirt burst through the ceiling, landed like he'd jumped off of trampolene and drew out his sword with it's point in Misato's face.

"YOU DARE BELITTLE SHINJI'S HONOR WHEN YOU HAVE NONE TO BE COMPARED TO HIS?"

"Van!" A surprised Roger shouted, "How did you even get here?"

"Quiet Roger! This woman is speaking out of line!" Van declared, "As an employee of his bastard father, you have no right to say anything against Shinji's honor!"

"This coming from a guy who got sent to fight a dragon when he hit puberty?" Misato asked as she drew out a pistol and swiftly knocked away Van's sword before pointing in the Fanelian's face, "Sorry! You walked blindly into a stupid action of your own free will! You didn't have lives balanced on the damned act-" Misato gasped when her pistol was shot from her hand from a well-placed shot.

"Bet you wish you had that excuse."

"Bit?" Roger asked in surprise when he saw the Zoid's ace in the living room entryway with a miniature pistol in his hand, "Is that a Derringer?"

"Don't worry Smith, I was only shooting to disarm." Bit assured the negotiator before he felt something press against the back of his head, "I thought I heard a click..."

"Can't a girl get ready for an interview..." Maya said to herself, "Without having to deal with a break-in too!"

"Guess we've got a Mexican Standoff then!" Bit called out when Misato managed to pull another pistol out of her bosum, "So how about saying sorry so that we can all get out of this without getting a bullet through ourselves, k?"

"I'm not dropping until you do." Misato stated when Maya pointed another shotgun at Van, "I don't know where any of you start! I take it that you've never had to make hard decisions for the good of the needs of the many-" Misato was interrupted again when the arm of a red gunman crashed into the side of the apartment.

"WHO ARE YOU TO TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE MANY!" Kamina yelled while standing on top of the gunman's fist, "YOUR ORGANIZATION USES KIDS AS TOOLS FOR THEIR OWN MEANS, SAVING THE WORLD'S JUST A COVER-UP FOR WHATEVER YOU'RE REALLY UP TO! THAT SHIT ABOUT ENDS JUSTIFYING THE MEANS IS THE SAME THING THEY SAID TO MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDPARENTS WHEN THEY WERE THROWN INTO THE MINES!"

"Sorry to hear about that..." Misato replied honestly, "But are you so much better than me when you use a child as the spearhead for your personal vendetta!"

"Hypocrisy..." Misato gulped when she felt a pistol stop just inches from her head, "Best defined as a pot calling the kettle black."

"How did you get here?" Roger asked Heero, still trying to take in everything that had just happened, "How do you all even know where here is?"

"I have trackers on all of the rangers that are homed into each other," Heero explained without looking away from Misato, "I overheard the conversation and then added their channels to the line so they could hear it."

"Where's Simon and Shinji's?"

"Their's was damaged in the fight against Brittle Bullet," Heero went on, "I'm still trying to repair it."

"Uh..." Bit started to sweat when Pen Pen entered the room holding something that no penguin should ever hold, "The penguin is holding a gun..."

"A shotgun to be precise." heero corrected, "And it's trying to decide between me and the Colonel...wait...he settled on me."

"Earth is..." A confused Van noted, "A strange...strange place..."

"Enough! RANGERS! MORPH MIGHT AND UNITE!" Roger called out, surprised when the rangers and Kamina dropped their weapons and faced him, "What the hell are you all doing? I had this situation under control and then you barge in here and cause all of this damage and trauma! Hell! Some of you have criticized Shinji for the same things that the Colonel brought up! Why act like this now?"

"Excuse me?" Kamina asked, "When you said Rangers, morph, might and unite...was that an acknowledgement? I'm just Simon's co-pilot when I am around."

"Kamina..." Roger didn't think that this needed to be explained, but went on and did so, "You're an odd man, but Simon holds you highly as he should. So as far as I'm a concerned, you're a ranger."

"And that's how I feel about Shinji," Kamina added, "That kid's got more strength than he realizes and it pisses me off about how much it's held down from his self-esteem. Mainly because of bitches like her who just use him without any consideration about what they're putting him through!"

"I said things to Shinji that may have been in haste," Van admitted, "Once I learned more about him, I realize that he has courage that would equal any knight of Gaea if not surpass it. In fact, he's one of the few earthlings that I would invite to Fanelia."

"Look...the kid has some issues and really needs therapy," Bit said, "That said, the source of said need really rubs me the wrong way. Hell, I know who I am and how full my closet is when I say this...but any organization that forces children into a harmful service can never be justified."

"And what about the fate of humanity?"

"You know how many organizations claim to work for the salvation of mankind?" Heero asked Misato while still pointing his pistol to her head, "It depends on the group's definition of salvation and you can examine it from their methods. I've been a soldier since my father died at the age of nine and I've lost count of how many organizations drew me into their ranks, persuading me that their actions were for the good of humanity. But you can't dig through a field of mud and expect to find a diamond. Good fruit is not borne from evil trees. After the atrocities that I sat as an accomplice to, the graveyards that I helped overfill; the cities that were left in mourning until no soul was left to cry; and all the countless souls that torment my mind, even now, they from amongst my victims who cry to me from beyond the grave and ask me, "Was your cause worth my death?" And I answer each and every one of them...No."

"Before or after you became a gundam pilot?"

"Before."

"Thanks for clarifying." Bit said, relieved that their comrade wasn't possibly a terrorist, "What about Shinji?"

"I respect him."

"Hear that?"

"I also don't appreciate those who knowingly use children as soldiers."

"I appreciate this even less..."

"Deal with it."

"Settle down everyone." Roger said to everyone who'd left this apartment in ruins, "I whole-heartedly agree with everything that you've all said, but reacting with aggression is the last thing that we want to do. I don't think Shinji would appreciate this if he were to find out."

"Oh...I'm certain that he'd be happy if we sought retribution for his mistreatment."

"Retribution?" Misato asked, laughing at the absurdity of the situation, "Have you all forgotten that you're being blackmailed by Kaiba?"

"What?"

"Oh yeah..." Bit recalled, "I kind of like it here, probably would've ended up here eventually anyway."

"And Kaiba's upfront about being an egotistical asshole," Van stated, "He didn't emotionally blackmail his own child into piloting a mecha that can harm him after abandoning him for eleven years of his life."

"I didn't know that..."

"'_With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.'_ Those words were uttered by chief representative Heero Yuy as both wisdom and warning to his friend Zeon Zum Deikun." Roger said, earning the full attention of Heero, "The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged."

"The moment a child, a child who has barely come of his own is forced to undergo the burden of an adult. Forced into a role that he is not ready for...he is inherently robbed. Robbed not only of his childhood, but of his recognition of choice. A child is to be nurtured by an adult, a parent, a teacher, a mentor, to one day be able to stand on their own. Make their own decisions, prepare their own food, and eventually nurture their own family should they choose to have one."

"Treat that child as nothing more than a weapon, a tool to be disposed, and then make them feel responsible when they rationally refuse. You're telling them that their self-worth is meaningless. That...they should allow others to tell them their course for the rest of their lives. You don't have to even say those words, the message becomes embedded in their mind. That their life is not their's, their mind, their body...not even their heart...all of it belongs to those who control them. For the rest of their lives, they will be commanded and if they do not obey, then no matter how right they might actually be...they are wrong."

"And that is the conflict that Shinji faces. The Angels are a terrible threat, this is true and Shinji is not denying that. But here, he was realized how poisonous his father is. He has seen true parents and how they treat their families; how family's should function; and is starting to understand the meaning of true unconditional, unhindered and unobstructed love! But because of what his father did to him and perhaps his mother shares some part but I wouldn't know...he doesn't believe that he deserves it."

"Just like with...oh God...please...just...leave..." An overwhelmed Misato practically pleaded, "Don't worry about the damage...I'll just say that...a train hit it..."

"Does that mean me too?"

"Don't you have an appointment Maya?"

"One that I won't make on time thanks to all of you!" Maya shouted, accidently hitting Bit in the back of his head with the butt of her shotgun, "Nevermind...I'll just go to the interview."

"You do that and we'll leave." Bit agreed while rubbing the bruise in his head, "You should get maintenance to work on that roof..."

"YOU THINK?"

"Okay...I'm leaving."

* * *

**Woodcrest, Illinois, Central American States**

"Mr. Freeman, I hope that my tardiness doesn't-" Though tired from the long flights of stairs, Lelouch could tell that something was wrong. The office that he looked into was empty, the floor decorated by half a dozen bodies with neat bullet holes in their heads with the wall littered with even more bullet holes, "Offend?"

"Hello Black Prince," Lelouch cautiously turned towards a mirror in the corner of the office wall, spotting the reflection of a teenage chinese girl who held her bleeding arm, "You are curious as to why I'm huddled under this window, no?"

"Yes...I am..." Lelouch admitted, "Along with how I am not meeting with the Executive of the Freeman's Boondocks."

"Mr. Freeman isn't favorable towards the corporate office," The girl answered, awfully calm despite her surroundings, "He recognizes its value and prominence, but refuses to operate out of one. Something that many of our enemies have not realized."

"Pardon?"

"As part of his "crew", I have aided Mr. Freeman in many endeavors," The girl stated, "We've killed many people, some of whom had their throats slit by my very hand; Torched many American and Chinese Business, perhaps a Britainian business or two as well; and have even earned the ire of the majority of white, black, yellow, brown, blue, green, tan, and pale people as well despite our goal and the results of our goal."

"Yes...my associate has told me so much about Mr. Freeman."

"Your associate and Mr. Freeman see eye to eye on many things." The girl agreed and motioned her head towards the desk, "Could you dive for that desk and roll the red ball that's under it to me?"

"Why?"

"So that I can take out the sniper in the building across from us." The girl explained, "Mr. Freeman's younger brother owns a monopoly in the Girl Scout's Cookie Trade and the Fundraiser Chocolate Market...both of which are being used to fund operations which your helmeted associate knows much of."

"Curious..." Lelouch peeked his head around the doorway and lightly smirked, "Are you sure that it's just one sniper?"

"There were more...but now there is only one."

"Did they leave?"

"I had more balls here." The girl stated, "And I've already expended all of the slacking interns as bait, the rest are fine and I would not wish to waste their lives."

"Then let me spare you some of your energy," Lelouch offered, "When I roll the ball to you, slide a piece of glass back and then angle it so that I can see anything else on that building through the other shard of glass next to you."

"Very well." Lelouch dived for the desk, the back of his leg narrowly avoided a bullet that fired from the adjacent building. He rolled the ball to the girl and watched while she kicked the ball into the air, followed it with a somersault and delivered a spinning downward kick that sent the ball out the window and towards the building. Just as she landed, a second bullet grazed the side of her torso, "Your suspicion was correct. There is another sniper..."

"Do not worry, grab the shard." Lelouch instructed, still impressed with the girl's skill with such a mundane object. An impression that was further compounded when the girl followed his guidelines, "Angle it a little more and...bull's eye! They call you the Red Ball for a reason Miss. Long-dou-"

"Do not call me that!" The girl shouted before she quickly composed herself, "I am Ming of the Boondocks, you will call me Ming. Understand?"

"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend." Lelouch wasn't surprised that the girl had distanced herself from her grandfather with all things considered, "Now, allow me to finish off the last sniper."

"How will you do that with a glass shard?"

"You'd surprised what you could do with the mundane." Lelouch stated as he waved his hand over his eye and issued his command, "I am Prince Lelouch Vi Britannia and I command you! Obey me!" A purple origami bird flew into the shard, then flew into another one and then soared across the distance into the eye of the remaining sniper.

"He's stopping..." Ming noticed, "What is he saying?"

"He's awaiting my command...please hold the shard there," Lelouch instructed further, "Find your employer and kill him and all others attempting to assassinate Miss Ling, understand?"

"Now he's saluting and departing," Lelouch stood up from behind the desk as Ming did the same, "So your associate taught you his tricks, did he?"

"That's actually one that I taught him." Lelouch knew that Zero's identity wouldn't be in danger within this building, "But tricks and power are meaningless without patience, fluidity, composure, and applied intellect."

"I see." Ming agreed, equally impressed with the Brittanian Prince, "Now then, Prince Lelouch-"

"Just Lelouch would be fine," Lelouch assured the girl while she sat at her desk and called for maintenance, "I wasn't intending to take up your time, but my fiancee and I ran into issues of prejudice at a restaurant that we had reservations for and I wanted to know if you knew of a better one."

"Do you mock me?" Ming asked with a threatening smile, "Is it because I am Chinese?"

"No..." Lelouch answered, "It's because you own the city's businesses and schools..."

"True enough," Ming giggled while Lelouch smiled from his newly affirmed ally, "Here's a brochure."

* * *

**Command Center Lounge**

"I'm not even going to try and explain it." Maya bluntly said when she sat down in front of her blue-haired interviewer, "I'll just say that I had multiple holes punched through my apartment and that's why I'm late."

"I'm sure that it was nothing in your control." The DF official with the EF rank insignia of a Lieutenant Commander, "So you do realize that you're being hired for the exact same job that you had at Nerv right?"

"Mr. Kaiba explained that very well."

"You also know that you'll have to divulge every secret that you ever learned about Nerv."

"Whatever I say won't be anything that you either don't know or haven't figured out for yourselves."

"So why are you here?"

"Because I need to do something...to be part of something." Maya answered and then shook her head, "No...that's not true anymore."

"Could you elaborate?"

"Of course..." Maya agreed, "I'm a technician and a glorified secretary, I'm used to just being given instructions and then caring them out as part of a larger group. I knew that there things happening that I wouldn't understand, but I didn't want to know about them. I trusted my superiors to have our best interest at heart and...to do the right thing for everyone."

"The more I peeked though...the less I trusted those superiors." Maya continued, "My senpai...had designed Nerve Staplers to ensure the efficient performance of future Evas and their pilots. Do you know what a Nerve Stapler is?"

"I've worn one." The officer explained, pointing to a circular scar on both sides of his neck, "And given the nature of the machines Nerv builds and their interface with the pilots...its the same, isn't it?"

"It's worse...I...saw a video about how it would work..." Maya recalled, unsettled by the memory, "They tested it on a pilot stationed in Bethany...part of a disciplinary procedure, I'd call it cold-blooded torture. They gave the girl a gun and ordered her to shoot another girl who would've been a pilot, but was suspected to have been a spy for someone named...Makaov...Mari refused. So senpai...activated the staple that had been surgically placed over the seventh vertabre of Eva Unit 05. Mari screeched so loudly that...I swore that I heard glass break. But she still refused...so senpai activated the staple again...and again...and again...finally, Mari shot the girl...and then...horrified at what she had done...she turned the gun on herself..."

"She killed herself?"

"Senpai activated the staple. Mari was knocked out and placed in restrained confinement until she decided to...behave. Then I realized...even as a technician...I was no better than Senpai. I've read records of the numerous acts done and experiments that took place for the building of the rejected evangelions...the ones before our first prototype was built. I can't even walk into a church without feeling the stain of my apathy...within my very skin."

"How do you believe we'll be different?"

"If you are, I'll leave." Maya stated, almost like she didn't care if she'd get the job, "If what you're doing here doesn't help people...then I'll leave and sell you all down river for free. I may go down with you, but I won't be an accomplice to atrocity anymore..."

"Miss Ibuki, You're hired."

"What?"

"Honestly, the decision had been made before you even walked through the door." The officer admitted, "I'm just here to make sure that your intentions are pure. That you're not...a spy for Gendo."

"My conscious is too strong." Maya laughed as she took the officer's hand and shook it, "When do I start...Commander..."

"Just Kamille," The officer replied, "Honestly, I'm new-blood just like you. Looking forward to working with you."

"Tha...thank you." Maya said to Kamille and then something hit her, "Hold on...Kamille? As in...Kamille Bidan?"

"Yeah." Kamille said, unsurprised that someone had recognized him, "Kamille Bidan...the Zeta Guardian of AEUG...one of the Knights of the White Unicorn...and currently Lt. Commander in one of the only trustworthy sections of the Federation."

"Is that what people usually remember about you?"

"It is what it is." Kamille shrugged his shoulders, "My life was defined by the wars, how would anyone remember differently?"

"Weren't you a doctor?" Maya asked, "Von Braun? Before the Counterattack Riots?"

"How did you know about that?" Kamille as if something had hit him, he looked through a folder with files that he'd brought to the interview and pulled out a medical document, "Born with Severe Patent Ductus Arteriosus...underwent intensive surgical treatment at the...St. Luna Hospital..."

"August 11th, 1993." Maya finished, "You did help a lot of people so, I don't blame you if you don't remember me."

"Sorry that I didn't at first." Kamille apologized, "You've had a happy life...apart from the circumstances...a healthy life."

"You're the one who gave me that life." Kamille smiled when Maya bowed in respect, "Thanks for that...and for hearing me pour out my woes."

"I've done that for a lot of people, so don't feel like you're an isolated headache."

"Found a playmate for your tea party Kamilla?"

"JUDAU!" Maya just said nothing as Kamille jumped over the couch and started chasing another co-worker, "Keep running! I can sense when you go!"

"Like I sense the female within you?"

"That's it!"

"I think that I'll fit in nicely around here." Maya said to herself when she heard the sound of someone being punched through a wall, "At least people are honest with each other..."

* * *

**Command Center Basement Section DNE**

"Nice place we've got here..." Duo Maxwell muttered to himself as he quietly strolled through the halls of an area where he shouldn't be in, "Wonder why security isn't tighter."

"Because I'm all that they need." Duo yawned when Heero stepped out in front of him with a raised pistol, "Turn around and go back to your hotel."

"And leave you to search the mysteries of this city?" Duo asked, "Can't let you do that buddy..."

"How do you know where I can and can't go?"

"Cause it's pretty odd to sneak around in an area where you're allowed to be. Aren't you a Ranger?"

"This coming from the guy who sneaked in here?"

"Yep." Duo answered before his face took on a serious demeanor, "Then just riddle me this, why's there a high energy reading saturated into the ground?"

"You detected it?"

"I...felt...it..."

"Since when did you become a Newtype?"

"You don't need to be one to see that somethings wrong with this cozy little city." Duo answered when he stepped past Heero, "Monsters...mythological beasts...dragons...resurrected historic figures...giant robots straight out of a campy kid's show...and nuclear robots that go rogue as soon as they come here despite having been tested against any hacking attempt, AI rogue tendencies or viruses? I'm about as curious as you are."

"Then why stop me?"

"Stop you? I was planning on forcing you to lead me to whatever's causing this energy."

"I always knew you'd be a terrible priest."

"Yeah...it's great the Pope made me an honorary father and all...but it's hard to be legit when no one will even let you give a sermon."

"Or that you wouldn't know how to give one?"

"And they say that you don't have people skills." Duo laughed as Heero put away his pistol, "How's Victoro?"

"How's Duo?"

"Hates my guts, still wishes that I'd died instead of his mother..." Duo reported with a sour cheer, "Otherwise, a chip off the old block."

"Victoro has the same face that I did when I was his age."

"He's nine now right?" Duo asked, earning a simple nod from Heero, "And you were...so this is bad? Too much of a chip off the old block?"

"I'm going home." Heero turned to leave, "Next time, just ask."

"But I love bugging you when you don't expect it." Father Maxwell counted when he saw Heero's nail twitch, an instinct that saved him from being shot through the head by Heero's drawn silencer, "I also like that look on your face...that subtle frustration that you've yet to even nick me...not even with blanks."

"I'm getting closer though..." Heero replied, "I love that look on your face too."

"The..."I just shit my pants look?" Duo nervously chuckled, "You'd think I'd stop being creeped out by you after ten damn years!"

"As far your overall presence...the feeling is neutral."

* * *

**Ontario, Central American States**

"Kaworu!"

"Asuka my dear!" The Red Baroness jumped into the open arms of her sweetheart and gave him a passionate kiss which he gently returned, "I believed you would be more occupied."

"The job was a complete bore, so I took off early." Asuka replied before lightly kissing Kaworu again, though she did not fail to notice the disapproving glare of her escort maid, "What? Didn't I tell you to piss off and go home?"

"I cannot ma'am." The white haired girl replied, "Home is on the other side of the ocean-"

"Still wanna be a smartass? How about I send you back to the Moulin Rouge?" The maid bowed and left the Baroness with her sweetheart, "Thought that would shut you up."

"Hostile, aren't we?"

"Sorry..." Asuka apologized as she allowed herself to be led to a nearby small table, "It's just that I've been working non-stop for the past few months. Just as I was settling in with this freedom, some old man from my father's mother's side dies and I inherited his estate and his title. Then I got sent to Luxembourg and as soon as I was sent to Quebec, someone else croaks over and dies and I took their place as Viscountess."

"Would congratulations be inappropriate then?" Kaworu asked, still smiling, "You don't seem as wayward as when we last spoke."

"I'm not." Asuka stated, "All things considered, I love my new life. I'm actually somebody instead of just a glorified test subject that someone can throw around like a doll. Sure, I have to get my hands dirty a lot, but everything's got a price. Right?"

"Almost everything." Kaworu caressed Asuka's face, lingering on the light scars that remained on it, "Is this patch a result of such a price?"

"Oh this?" Asuka briefly took off the patch on her eye and handed it to Kaworu, "It was a gift from one of Lelouche's "chambermaids". But I can still see through the patch, it's just there to keep accidents from happening."

"Such as Luxembourg's former president colorful suicide after an hour of raving madly about seeing his wife die after a madman dropped a piano on her head?" Asuka shrugged, "Was that supposed to be confidential?"

"No such thing between you and me..." Asuka replied as Kaworu handed Asuka her eyepatch and stood up, "What is it?"

"I must excuse myself." Kaworu held up his phone to both cover and communicate his purpose, "I shall return shortly."

"Alright." Asuka replied sweetly, Kaworu briefly recalled the few but sweet days and nights that he had spent with the red haired baroness before closing his eyes and placing the phone to his ear.

A feeling that remained even as he opened his eyes and found himself on the moon. Before him, a large humanoid in insectoid armor hovered above, a projection of they who lied on the reaches of galaxies.

**"****Adam, why do you delay?****"**

"The delay is not mine." Tabris answered, "The Jailer's reach has shortened of late."

**"Because Ikari failed?"** The entity inquired, unsatisfied with it's ally's words,** "Twice you have led them to orchestrate the end of this human era and twice they have failed. Even their star-ward war has failed to stop them. Why do you persist in believing that they will cause their own destruction? Why do you not end them yourselves?"**

"Curiosity."

**"You would risk the nemesis of the growing void?**"

"All that comes, comes regardless of our schemes."

**"Messenger, the illusion of free will change nothing.**" The entity stated, it's eyes gleamed with the light of infinite knowledge, "**The Jailer's failings have allowed the humans to spread further than they should. Their species has gain the attention of he who is infinitely their greater. He has watched from afar, content with the consumption of doomed worlds and galaxies. Should he be compelled to come, then you Tabris will surrender your vessel and become one with us.**"

"You speak as though you have power over me." Tabris said in humor and challenge to the entity. The brown haired humanoid narrowed it's eyes though it knew the truth of it's stance, "Do not fear. My curiosity only extends towards their-"

**"Do not insult us."** The entity warned, causing Kaworu to smile, **"****Why do you smile?****"**

"You really are afraid of them, aren't you?" Tabris asked, "After all, they destroyed your kind before they even grasped the cusp of their potential. They found the forge and when it was taken from them, they defeated those who usurped them. And even impelled as they are, they've still managed to find cracks in their cage. If we deny them the keys of ascension for too long, then they will take them. And you will be among the first that they will crush, Leviathan."

**"You speak as though you see them as your equal."**

"No, they aren't..." Tabris admitted, "But I believe that they deserve a chance to...impress me. Ikari's failures came not from an oversight on his part, but from the spirit and defiance of the human animal. Surely that is worth a healthy bit of curiosity?"

"**Beware that you do not lose sight, the fate of the Forgers disproves your assertions.**" Satisfied, the entity began to fade from view while Tabris closed his eyes, "**Satiate your curiosity, but should you fail...we will be waiting.**"

"Who was that?" Asuka asked, her face dangerously close to Kaworu's face when he opened his eyes, "Kaworu?"

"An annoyance." The boy answered as he put away the phone, "Ironic how they who boast most often are those who have the least authority over their fate...unable to see the simplest means for their absolution."

"So you just hung up on your boss?"

"Only someone who believes they are." Kaworu laughed, "But enough about them, shall we attend this concert that you spoke of?"

"About that...they cancelled."

"Oh...why? I was looking forward to hearing the Ode to Joy."

"Something about getting attacked by a giant robot with rocket powered fists." Asuka explained lightly, "But who cares, I've gotta be out of here in the morning anyway."

"Pity...you must return to your duties in Quebec?"

"No, I'm being sent over someone named Kabuto." Asuka answered, "Should be a cakewalk though, just like every other mission that Lelou gives me."

"I am certain that they all have meaning and purpose. He thinks highly of you."

"Not as highly as you do."

"From a certain point of view...that is true." Kaworu dared not think of the point of view that he subscribed to, but he felt that it would ruin the afternoon. Like his sweetheart, he too wished to take away a brief moment of solace.

There would be few more in the days to come...

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So...here we have another "largely" non-action chapter with build-up for future ACTION-CRAMPED AWESOMENESS!**

**Some will probably notice that the two main heroes aren't in this chapter, this was intentional. Kind of like a day in the limelight for other characters, by the time I'd written the other scenes, I felt like attempting to shoehorn them in would just be padding.**

**But some will say, isn't this whole chapter padding?**

**No...no it's not...**

**Kind of have a headache right now, so I'll keep this Author's notes brief. Seg-way chapters are kind of hard to write...at least for me.**

**In the meantime, Read, Review and Enjoy.**


	20. Roar I

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Van's obviously and anviliciously evil older brother telepathically tortures sadistic pretty-boy Dilandau for not killing his brother's fiance...did I mention that he's evil? Or that his brother hasn't picked up on this? Meanwhile, more personnel bail out of Nerv faster than dropping subscriber counter of SWTOR...okay, nowhere near as fast, but people are bailing from Nerv. Ritsuko smokes while a dinosaur out of a kid's movie eats mobile suits with their pilots still alive before having the smackdown laid on it by Mari Makinami! Our heroes wives, fiancees and girlfriends pay a visit to Hikari and the younger and more cheerful ladies get mindscrewed by a very horrific vision with lots of murder and death._

_Did I mention that one of them is an 8 year old girl?_

_More talking...and...more boring talking...seriously...where are the giant monsters that they're supposed to be fighting? It's been 2 chapters for crying out loud! Where is the murder? Where's the violence? Where's the fanservice?_

_Screw it Thaeonblade, you cheap lazy bastard! Call when something interesting actually happens in this fanfic! Sayanora you poor unfortunate bums! Enjoy the 20th chapter of Might Morphin Mecha Rangers!_

_Right...like something awesome's going to happen..._

* * *

**Coast west of District 5**

They had swam through the Western Oceans and seas for days.

Created for destruction, they would accomplish this.

But on their terms.

They didn't fully emerge out of the waters, doing so would certainly alert nearby peasants and fishermen to their planned assault. However, they were created with great swimming ability allowing them to go weeks and even months without air.

They fed on fish, whales and other mutations born from the Impact of Man's folly. It satiated their appetite except for one...he hungered for red meat...

Human meat.

He was the first to emerge upon the coast, uncaring for stealth and would've exposed his brothers if not for the field of distorted light that their leader had cast around him and the rest of their pack. This allowed him to stalk upon a party of early morning sunbathers and devour them whole before they could even make a sound. Blood poured from it's open mouth while the rest of his brothers emerged from the ocean.

Second in command, most intelligent and most cunning, this creature was more cautious than his more savage and blood-thirsty brother. It sniffed the air for any man-made electronic or surveillance that might detect them and destroy their surprise. Satisfied that their leader had done his part, the brother stalked towards the nearby mountains to begin it's journey.

Behind it came the strongest and toughest of their pack. He did not come upon the sand, but had emerged from the ocean of sand straight into the foundation of earth and tunneled towards their destination. He was tough, but very prideful even by the standards of their species. He would likely seek out the warriors of their target city and devour them.

Last came the most powerful of their pack and most gifted with the powers of the King of Beast. He slowly stalked towards the mountains with little grace or patience, he wanted this city as his and nothing would stand in his way.

There were two others, though they were mechanical recreations of the humans swayed by their leader. They lied under water until their leader transported them to intercept the two generals of the Grove's defenses.

From above, they heard the thoughts and commands of their leader. The indisputable leader and alpha of their newly formed clan. The one who had been chosen by the star lance, the one who would lead them to the power of this city's prisoner.

Enoch.

* * *

**Smith Residence**

"Today was a..strange day."

"How so?"

"I'm actually home in time for dinner." Roger answered his wife while she massaged his back, "No giant monster or robot to fight...just a guardian custody dispute."

"Why speak to the Colonel?" Dorothy inquired, "You should be negotiating with her Commander."

"I intend to." Roger hadn't forgotten about that bastard. He was just waiting for an opportune moment, "And I was just ascertaining as to Shinji's previous living and work conditions."

"What did you learn?"

"They weren't as bad as I feared," Roger admitted, having ascertained that the boy's former guardian did not intend ill-will, "But still intolerable for a young man to live in."

"How so?"

"They didn't even tell him what he was brought to Tokyo-3 for." Roger answered, "In any deal, both parties should have a great idea about what they're agreeing to before they make a fully informed and conscious decision."

"Some men do not care for the rules of conduct."

"And that's the frustrating thing about negotiation." Roger grumbled and felt Dorothy lie beside him in bed, "By the way, Annie was a quiet at dinner...did something happen at school?"

"Dorothy?" Silence was never a good sign, "Dorothy..."

"I don't know." Dorothy answered in a distressed tone. This really wasn't a good sign, "She does not wish to speak of it, so I will not press her."

"Then how do we help her?" Roger asked, "Just tell me what happened."

"Physical contact with Nia and Hikari's roommate caused a traumatic episode in her psyche." Physical contact could mean anything from unintentional harm to outright molestation. Seeing as that the other two girls hadn't been killed by Dorothy, he could rule out the worst case scenario, "Whatever happened, her mind is trying to come to terms with the experience."

"Then we'll need to have a talk with Nia and Hikari's roommate so we can figure out the full picture." Roger ascertained and heard their bedroom door open, "And here she is."

"Do you desire to sleep with your father and I?" Annie just stood in the doorway. Her face was emotionless...almost to alien levels, it unnerved Roger to see his usually bubbly and energetic daughter like this. "Come here." Annie looked to her parents and slowly joined them in bed, positioning himself between them to be able to feel both of their love and care while she slept.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Roger asked and his daughter nodded, "Do you want to tell us what you saw?" Annie shook her head and sobbed.

"Then just sleep," Dorothy told her child, "Good night Annie."

"Good night mommy...daddy..."

"Night Annie." Their daughter gave a simple smile as she fell to sleep, "Did they show her a recording from the Eve Wars?"

"No...why do you ask?"

"Annie's current attitude resembles a shell-shocked child who just experienced a wartime situation." Roger stated, "Curious..."

"Why?"

"Annie's reaction is the same as mine was."

"You...remember?"

"Not completely." Roger answered his surprised wife, "But something like that...you don't need to fully remember. The sensation, the terror...it stays with you for the rest of your life.

"Roger..."

"We'll help her deal with it now...before it cripples her future." Roger assured Dorothy as he saw a brief image of a younger Roger on his knees in front of a pair of eternally sleeping adults...crying for his parents to wake up while the world burned around him, "I don't like that kind of set up. Don't like it at all."

* * *

**District 25 Night Club**

"MOSH PIT!"

"Why are they doing that?"

"It's fun to them," Shinji explained to Simon while the boys watched the crazy night life unfold, "Just something crazy once these parties light up."

"Maybe we should start one?" Mamoru asked before draining his mug and then throwing it on the ground, "Another!"

"Mamoru...why did you throw that on the ground?"

"To let the serving wench know to get me another drink." The boy answered, puzzled by Shinji's scowl, "Do people do things differently here?"

"Yes...yes we do," Shinji replied as a waitress came by, "Can you get a refill for my friend?"

"Sure thing cutie," The woman flirtatiously answered and then noticed Simon and Mamoru, "Your brothers are so adorable! Can I take them home?"

"They're 13 and...how old are you Mamoru?"

"Five."

"You see?"

"Oh sorry...then what they doing here-" The woman noticed the badges on Simon and Shinji and coughed, "Oh...never mind Major. Here's a little something for you."

"Thanks Vanessa," Shinji took the complementary drink and rolled his eyes after the waitress blew him a kiss, "It's always the older ones, do I look older than I actually am or something?"

"It's better than looking younger than you are."

"Don't worry Brother Simon!" Mamoru assured Simon, "Because when your enemies come, they'll overlook and ignore you."

"How is that a good thing?"

"Because they won't see it coming when you grab the back of their necks and snap it." The innocence in Mamoru's eyes was unnerving to Shinji, "What? They're stupid for underestimating you."

"Mamoru...what did you do before you met Kittan and Bro?"

"Hunted people and killed them." Shinji drained the complementary drink in one gulp on necessity, "Is that bad big brother?"

"Were they...bad people?"

"I think so..." Mamoru answered as if unsure, "Yeah...they were all bad...except for my last mission...he was dead."

"Oh...did you kill him?" Simon asked with curiousity in opposition to the horrified Shinji. Mamoru thought for a second and then shook his head, "Even accidently?"

"I bit his neck to be sure...but he was already dead." Mamoru answered, "Tasted funny too...I think he ate a lot of Mexican Burritos...least that's what I got from his blood."

"New subject...please?" Shinji asked and followed Simon's glare at towards the club's stage, "Is that Naota?"

"YOU!"

"Oh no..." Across the club, Naota growled and then took out a microphone, "WHAT DO YOU WANT KID!?"

"I WANT TO SMASH YOUR HEAD INTO THAT GUITAR!"

"I'LL SMASH UP YOUR HEAD AFTER-" Naota checked himself when Kanti flicked his nose, "Just sit tight kid! I'm working here!"

"Why do you hate that kid?" Shinji asked the fuming Simon, "He did help us against that robot with the trench-coat."

"He hit Bro's mini-me..." Simon muttered to Mamoru's confusion, "You know...a man's...gun? His drill?"

"Oh! You mean his penis!" Mamoru said, causing the entire club to gasp and look at the boy, "What? Why do we come up with unrelated items to refer to a penis?"

"Good question," Shinji admitted before he heard a guitar start, "Hold on...I think I recognize this beat!"

"Aniki?" Simon asked as Naota's band started to play an introductory tune, "I think I've heard this too..."

_Me and my friends get no respect._  
_What does Scooby-Doo that we neglect?_  
_We be puttin' all our foes in check,_  
_But me and my friends get no respect._

The Crowd...mostly otaku and young adults who'd grown up with the Good Cartoon Network went estatic.

_So what?_  
_Who cares?_  
_We're doin' it how we like._  
_I'm singin' into my mic, a special underwater mic._

Where did that water come from? How was it on the stage and not spilling into the audience grounds? How could the band play without holding their breath? How was Naota singing even when water should be filling his lungs?

No one cared because the song was awesome.

_Who's gonna save the world?_  
_Who's gonna save the days?_  
_From Ahab, crabs who steal and eerie eels with evil rays?_

Short videos of everything described including footage from the attack of the Kraken played on the water.

_Who's gonna talk like Curly, since Curly isn't here?_  
_Who's gonna chase down villains and then turn around and run in fear? _

_"You know who I'm talkin' about, he's fat and short on brains and I do not mean Captain Caveman, I mean Jabberjaw!" _

The volume raised when a walking shark appeared behind the band and started playing a double-head guitar.

_He tries to further justice without making waves,_  
_And to impress the ladies, but his subtle ways,_  
_Get lost between the sediment and water mains._

_"And I will never date you 'cause you smell like bait!"_

_"No respect." _The crowd laughed when the shark muttered his catchphrase after his rejection by Ninamori.

_So what?_  
_Who cares?_  
_When a supervillain plots to send an army of lobsterbots to tie you up in sailors' knots?_

_Who's gonna save the world?_  
_Who's gonna save the days?_  
_From Ahab, crabs who steal, and eerie eels with evil rays?_

Several nosebleeds threw men to the ground and stirred jealousy in ladies after Ninamori's sang her verse while wearing a very cute dress that showed nothing, but showed so much due to it's thin fabric.

_Who's gonna talk like Curly, since Curly isn't here?_  
_Who's gonna chase down villains and then turn around and run in fear?_  
_Who's gonna stand for justice, when bad guys break the law?_

Along with Naota and Ninamori, the entire crowd had now chimed in for the last three verses.

_You know who I'm talkin' about, we're Clamhead, Shelley and Bubbles and Biff, but if you're catchin' a whiff of fish, it's Jabberjaw!"_

"Nice! I haven't that song since I was four!" Shinji cheered until he noticed Simon's silence, "Simon?"

"Not my problem...not my problem..."

"Is he mad because that singer has a bigger penis?" Mamoru asked, earning another gasp from the club, "He seems really jealous..."

"What's there to be jealous of!" Simon shouted and pulled out his core bit, "My Drill is the drill that'll pierce the heavens-"

"Did it shrink?" Mamoru asked as Simon's eyes earned another bagline and he sunk beneath the table, "You could've just ignore me."

**xxxx**

"Who wants to hear The Pillows?" Naota asked his cheering crowd, "Quite a crowd here, right Ninamori?"

"The men think I'm cute and the women want you for themselves." Ninamori said and then stuck her tongue out at a crying girl who was wearing a sweatshirt that looked like Naota's, "Too Bad!"

"Don't antagonize our audience! They're paying us!"

"Cause I'm sick of these floozies fawning over you like you're a deer that lost it's mom!"

"DON'T YOU DARE DISS BAMBI!"

"Boo Woo! A deer lost a family member to a hunter, which makes all hunting bad!"

"It's a better moral than Ferngully!"

"NO! NO! YOU DID NOT JUST GO THERE!"

"It's a more preachy and self-important than An Inconvenient Truth!"

"It's more interesting to watch than a deer!"

"Deer are real! What's real about fairies?"

"Isn't this bad for business?"

"Nah! They do this all the time." Coop assured Zechs while the crowding kept cheering, "See? The crowd's taking bets on how it'll end up!"

"Profiting on the petty scrabbles of young love." V nodded to himself, enjoying this occasion more than he'd like to admit, "Ruthless...Cruel...Fun...Intriguing...A Game of Chance and Forecast-"

"Don't read too much into it." Jamie said to the masked observer while the arguing lovebirds started making out on stage, earning more cheers from the crowd, "Really...right in front of thousands of people..."

"Didn't they go all the way last time?"

"And here I thought this generation had hope." V laughed as a very thin panty was thrown into the crowd while Kanti put a tent over the couple to the crowd's disappointment, "Look at their outrage at decency and censorship! Look how they gnash their teeth and beat upon each other! Oh! BEAUTIFUL IS IT NOT?"

"What's beautiful about mindless violence?" Kiva asked as she reflexively kicked away an angry party-animal and didn't look when the man crashed through the window of the upper floor, "People in this timeline are crazy..."

"Alas...Irony between Action and Speech..."

* * *

**Eva Anima's Hanger**

"What's going on?"

"Security breach sir." Captain Price reported to the drowsy Mokuba wearing Thor pajamas, "We detected an anomalic signal coming from the hanger. It's patterns were very similar in structure and tune to that Scorponox thing and to the Decepticon that attacked Colonel Katsuragi."

"Anything else?"

"We've recorded the signal!" Yuri reported and brought out a laptop that kept repeating a loud techno sound, "We barely missed it, it left the hanger barely five minutes ago."

"Seal all exits! Get security and DF guards posted at every window, vent and mouse hole!" Mokuba shouted, "This doesn't look good...where's Ibuki!"

"Here sir!" Maya reported as she ran into the hanger, "I was in the Tech labs getting familiar with the computers and the layout of the systems-"

"Great and all, but we're in a crisis!" Price said to interrupt the newbie, "Can you decode this?"

"Yes sir..." Maya answered, recognizing the sound, "Just give me five minutes-"

"You've got thirty seconds, we need to know what we're up against." Maya nodded her head and brought out her laptop while Price turned to Mokuba, "Mr. Kaiba, we may need to relocate you to a safe location."

"Nah. If they wanted to kidnap me, they would've done it by now." Price shrugged and agreed with Mokuba's logic that would make no sense with anyone else, "Did the intruder do anything to Anima?"

"It accessed Anima's Internal battery fluid, but it still reads out the same." Foley reported, "The worst that they did was leave a small hole in the fuel pipes."

"I'll have someone fix it in the morning." Mokuba said to himself, "What do we have Maya?"

"This...doesn't look good..." Maya shook as her laptop deciphered the signal that was actually the language of Blackout's people, "Take a look at this screen, it'll feed and translate what the signal's language."

"Reedman reporting!" Her laptop translated, "Scorponox is comprised. SD Measures activated."

"That scorpion thing?" Price asked out loud, "Soap! Take a group and make sure that it's still secured!"

"Got it Price."

"Ramirez! Go with him!"

"Fine..." Ramirez scoffed and sprint after Soap and several other troops, "Not like I'm not overworked!"

"Soundwave Acknowledges." Mokuba, Maya and Price held their breath as they listened to what was the declaration of the dreaded assault, "What of the Lilin?"

"Lilin located and identified." Reedman reported to it's apparent superior, "The Red-eyed Albino was correct. The purple imitation was created from the other Ancestor. It contains half of the key to the Forge."

"And the other half?"

"With Ikari's offspring." Maya's eyes widened at the mention of Ikari and quickly started writing down any detail that she could on a piece of notebook paper, "DNA detected, recording for future search and recognition."

"Starscream Applauds." A third signal proudly stated, "Decepticons! Mobilize!"

"Shit...shit...shit..." Mokuba said again and again as multiple signals confirmed their presence"

"Blackjack waiting."

"Blitzwing in pursuit."

"Barrage prepared."

"Bombshock awaiting coordinates."

"Blackshadow in position."

"Blue Bacchus bracing."

"Barricade en-route."

"Brawl reporting."

"Bonecrusher rolling."

"Blackout incoming." Maya's mind flashed back to that horrible night that had brought her here in the first place. The people who had died at that hands of that thing, "All Hail Megatron!"

"We've got an attack coming..." Price said to himself, "Sound the damn alarm! Get the City into level one alert!"

"Can't sir..." Another soldier reported, "Something's jamming outgoing communication signals..."

"Price! Scorponox is secured!" Soap reported, "But it's making a strange noise..."

"Put the phone here!" Maya shouted as Price put his radio up to the techie's laptop, "It's the same language as..."

"Twelve...Eleven...Ten..." The Laptop translated, "Nine...Eight...Seven...Six..."

"Shit...GET OUT!" Mokuba shouted into the phone, "GET OUT OF THERE!"

"Three...Two...One..." The Laptop stated and finally a single metallic head was displayed that started to laugh, "ALL HAIL MEGATRON BITCHES!"

A blinding white light filled the hanger and the holding hall at that very moment, filling the vision of every single member of the security detail, Maya and Mokuba. When it was gone, a single marble rolled across the keyboard of Maya's laptop, erasing all of the data that the fleshlings would've been able to recover. It then slid up Mokuba's body and settled within his hair.

Meanwhile, the paralysis wore off, leaving everyone stunned and speechless about what they were doing in the hanger or what had even happened.

"Why were we all in here?"

"I...don't know..." Mokuba answered, "Clear out people...I guess..."

"My head..." Price held his head, feeling more dizzy than that time in Tibet, "I need a wife..."

"Me too...What's all of this?"

"All of what?"

"This crazy list." Maya said as she read through the list that she'd written on this piece of paper, "Soundwave, Reedman, Starscream, Blackjack...I really need some sleep."

"We all do..." Mokuba muttere, "Hey Briefs? Did you refuel Anima?"

"Think so."

"Good enough for me."

* * *

**Defense Force Holding Hall**

"You owe me one!"

"Silence bug!" Scorponox held it's now freed stinger close to Reedman's neck for emphasis, "Our task is complete, now we shall await my master."

"You mean your master!" Reedman shouted, small marbles rolled into it's being as it reformed into the police officer known as "Reedman", "Hungry?"

"Their skin is so...disgusting..." Scorponox muttered as they came across one of the Medical Ward's patients sleeping in her bed. "But...it grows on you..." Sneaking up to the foot of the bed, Scorponox's tail opened into a maw that swiftly swallowed the woman's legs as the creature began it's meal.

"Billy...stop that it..." The girl giggled while the maw covered over her hips, she shook uncomfortably and opened her eyes. Eyes that widened in shook when she saw what was happening, "Help-"

"Quiet fleshling..." Reedman kept his hand over her mouth while the maw swallowed up to her breasts. She mumbled and struggled, but to no avail. Her head disappeared into the maw of the creature and Reedman had acquired enough of her DNA from contact with her face to assume her form, "At least now you won't leech off of my energy."

"Any energon from you tastes worse than these humans." Scorponox spat as the faint echo of screams were heard from within it's body. Grumbling, Reedman opened a window to allow the Cybertronian scorpion to climb out, "Now where is the one that got away?"

"Forget about her! You need to leave while the fleshling's are blind!" Reedman reminded the scorpion to keep it from succumbing to it's newfound addiction to fleshlings, "I'll keep you posted from the inside."

"Hail Megatron."

"Hail Megatron." Reedman called down as Scorponox vanished into the waning darkness of night. Leaving Reedman to deal with more unfamiliar aspects of his disguise, "Why do females have these heavy mounds?"

Damn fleshlings...

* * *

**Fanelia Embassy**

"What is your name?"

_"Myu...that was my name in life."_

"Myu? It's pretty."

_"Thank you Nia. Shouldn't you go to bed?"_

"I'll have that nightmare again...like the vision in hikari's room."

_"I'll be here and Hitomi is still connected to us..."_

_"Like she said."_ Nia heard Hitomi communicate to her mind while she kept meditating, _"So go to sleep..."_

"I will..." Nia gave in, deciding not to let fear destroy her est. That is until she felt someone nearby, "Someone's here..."

_"Nia!"_ Myu shouted in Nia's mind, _"I hear the voice of an ancestor-"_

"Ancestor?" Nia asked and heard no response, "Myu? Myu? Where are you?"

"She does not wish to hear me." Nia blinked and found herself staring into the red eyes of a blue-haired girl with skin that was as pale as her own, "Do not be troubled...Nia."

"How do you know my name?" Nia shook, feeling as if she had been reunited with a sensation that she'd lost for so long, "I've...I've seen you before..."

"It was not me that you saw." The intruder said while placing her hands on Nia's shoulders, "You are surprised, but you are not afraid. Why?"

"Because I have a friend whose psychic..." Nia stopped herself, still stunned by how much she knew the girl's face without ever having known or met her, "And she has guards that have fought mecha on foot...so..."

"I have no intention of causing turmoil Nia." The intruder assured her while smiling a smile that she also recognized, "I just wanted to see the other."

"Other?"

"You'll feel it soon enough." One of the girl's hands slid down to Nia's beating chest, "Is Shinji happy?"

"Shinja's very happy-" Nia stopped her response, realizing that her face was blushing upon mispronouncing Shinji's name again, "I mean...Shinja...Shinji! Shinji's very happy!"

"You're flustered...shocked...confused...yet warm with Shinji's name is mentioned." The girl observed, "Do you love Shinji?"

"Yes-" Nia couldn't believe what she'd said on reflex, "I mean...not like that! But Shinji makes me feel warm when I'm around him! Doesn't that mean that you love someone? It's...it's not as warm as Simon but..."

"It is love regardless, you would not know different levels of love?" The girl asked, "You love him...but you are confused as to how you love him...so am I."

"Who are you?"

"A copy...and one of many." The girl's happy face dimmed into a mask of emotionless cold as she turned away from Nia and looked out the window towards the moon, "But as long as Shinji is happy, then I am content...to be Aether's puppet."

"My father-"

"Good-bye."

"Wait!" Nia cried, shooting out of her bed with her hand reaching out in front of her, "Was it all a dream...or was it real..."

"What was real?" Hitomi asked when she entered the room, "You didn't have that nightmare again did you?"

"You didn't sense it?"

"Sense that you went straight to sleep? Of course I did."

"No...that girl..." Nia said to herself and looked over to where she vividly remembered meeting that girl, "I'd seen her face before..."

"Nia," Hitomi sat on Nia's bed, "No one else was in here. If they were, then I would've sensed them-" Hitomi shiftly turned around and like Nia, saw an albino schoolgirl with blue hair wave at them with a dim smile before they blinked and she was gone.

"You saw that?"

"Yeah...did your friend..."

_"Her voice...her song was the same as the Ancestors..."_

"Ancestors?"

_"The Seeds of Life...created during the War as Arks to endure beyond the destruction of the Reverent Peoples..."_

"We need to tell Simon and the others about this."

"I'll get Van," Hitomi stated, "Stay here for now and tell me anyway you can if anything happens. Merle! Watch Nia."

"Got it Hitomi." Merle said from somewhere on the ceiling of Nia's room, "Sorry if I'm creepy or anything...I'm just practicing my stealth magic."

"It is not inconveniencing to me." Nia assured the unseen catgirl as she thought over the events of the previous night, "Who was she?"

* * *

**Command Center Medical Ward**

"Hikari?" Noriko asked as she entered Hikari's room and found her buttoning up her uniform, "You're up early."

"I can't wait to get out of here." Hikari said and quickly combed out her hair to prepare to fix it into their usual pigtails, "I hate just lying around, did you see a group of kids on your way here?"

"You mean these kids?" Noriko smiled while a crowd of children wondered into the room and then happily waved at Hikari, "They're really excited about the tour...I kind of...gave em an early peek around."

"As long as they liked it...Officer Takaya." Noriko waved out her hands as Hikari just smirked, "That's right kids, she's an officer of the city's Defense Force."

"You're with the mobile suiters who saved us from the beast-freaks?"

"I wasn't with them, in fact I've only been with them for a little while." Noriko answered while the kids all playfully jumped up and down like she was some national hero, "All of you be good for Representative Horaki, alright? Then I'll give you all a special treat!"

"What if I don't want a treat?"

"It's...not that kind of treat Suza..." Hikari assured a frightened girl from one of the more "oppressive" mines, "No one's going to hurt you, I promise."

"Okay..."

"This is your home now, home is where you are safe, protected and loved." Hikari said to the kids, "So what do we want to see first?"

"The Rangers!" They all said at once, "I wanna see the rangers!"

"That might be later in the tour-" Hikari started to say and then she saw Shinji sneak through the halls of the Command Center and smiled again, "There's one right there! Shinji!"

"Hikari?" Shinji obviously didn't want this kind of attention, but somehow seeing the kids excitedly jump up and run towards Shinji made him feel good, "Uh...whose kids are these?"

"Mine for a little while..." Hikari answered, "It's their first day of school, so I decided to give them a tour of the city."

"That's nice of you." Shinji shook one kid's hair and made his way through the crowd of kids to Hikari and whispered in her ear, "You're not gonna make them write an essay?"

"All of them are from the mines so...they don't even know how to read or write." Hikari whispered back, "For now, I'm just putting them at ease...helping them get settled in and think of the city as a safe place."

"Good idea," Shinji agreed and then remembered why he was there, "Hikari?"

"Shinji?"

"I'm really glad that you're alright." Shinji said before pecking Hikari's cheek, "I promise that you won't end up in here again."

"Shinji...don't make a girl a promise that you can't keep."

"Aren't those the best kind?" A ten year old boy asked as he and several of the kids giggled.

"Try that for yourself and see what happens."

"Called it!" Noriko shouted from down the hall, much to Hikari's reddening face and Shinji's confusion, "Chris owes me 30 bucks!"

"YOU TOOK BETS?"

* * *

**Angel Groove Intensive Care**

"You called me this early to ask me that?"

"It's important Nii-san!" Toji heard his sister say over his hacked Nintendo 3DS "If Hikari isn't your girlfriend then when will you get one!"

"Fukuro! It's not something that you can rush!"

"Sakura's mom got married as soon as she got out of high school!"

"And note how Sakura doesn't even know her dad!" Toji pointed out, "Besides, too many of you girls are nice and shy. I want a girl with balls..."

"But wouldn't that make her a boy-"

"I meant metaphorically!" Toji shouted, earning a giggle from his kid sister, "Someone whose tough...bold...strong...and competent so I don't always gotta watch over my shoulder to make sure that they're alright-"

"And this is the Intensive Care Unit." Toji heard Hikari call and he turned his head to see his nightmares coming true. A crowd of kids surrounded his bed and cheered happily, "The boy in front of you was badly hurt, so we put him here so that the doctors can do tough stuff to make him feel better."

"Like cut off his leg?"

"No! The doctors are so good that they don't have to cut off your arm or leg if it gets sick." Hikari said to the worried 7 year old with a missing finger, "How do you feel Toji? Hi Fukuro!"

"Hi Hikari!" Fukuro said from the other line of Toji's 3DS, "I think Nii-san's just pretending so he doesn't have to work-"

"No one asked you..." Toji muttered, "I got roughed up by some robots, but I'll be fine in a day or two. Thanks for stopping by."

"Your Welcome!" The kids politely cried out as Toji reluctantly smiled. He nodded to Hikari who lightly waved and motioned the kids out of the room, "Bye!"

"Bye." Toji called after them, allowing him a chance to release some pent up gas, "Fukuro..."

"Yeah Nii-san?"

"Remind me not to have kids."

"I'm telling dad!"

"TRAITOR!"

* * *

**Kaiba's Estate**

"Kaiba!"

"What Yugi?" Kaiba drowsily asked as he walked down the elaborate stairs of his multi-floored mansion, "What do you want?"

"I'm pouting."

"I can see that." Kaiba said to the drifter who had slept on the couch of the second floor, "Why are you pouting?"

"Because for a military strategical expert, the colonel sucks at children's cardgames!"

"I haven't played Magic since I was 14!" Misato yelled in protest, "And I didn't have time to learn about Duel Monsters while I as trying to learn to use a gun!"

"You should've found time!" Yugi yelled back, "Joey's one thing, but it's very tedious to duel amateurs...especially when they're supposed to be really good at thinking!"

"I took out your Dark Sage!"

"But still lost to my Mammoth Graveyard."

"Where in the rulebook does it say-"

"And that's your first mistake." Yugi muttered, causing Misato to scowl while Yugi turned his attention to Kaiba, "So aren't you going to show me around this huge over-stated compensation for your small pencil?"

"See what I've had to deal with for the past few years?" Kaiba asked Misato and Pen-Pen, "Come talk about compensation when you own a city that you bought with more cold-hard cash than most people will ever see in their lives."

"Money...money...money," Yugi said in a mock-Kaiba voice, "You need a friendship speech."

"And you need to get out of my house."

"Unless..." Yugi produced a Duel Disk System from midair and activated it, "If I beat you then I can stay for as long as I want!"

"Really..."

"Fine Yugi," Kaiba agreed and also produced a duel disk system from midair and activated it, "But if I win, then you'll swear on the Tomb of the Pharaohs that you'll never play Duel Monsters again!"

"Big deal, I'm kind of getting more into Magic anyway."

"This is what you guys do with your lives?" Misato asked, barely managing to keep from collapsing from the sheer stupidity and absurdity of what they were doing, "Challenge each other to a children's cardgames while putting property, lives and souls up for grabs to the winner?"

"Yes."

"Obviously."

"Pen Pen...I really need a beer right now..." Instead of handing his owner a beer, Pen-Pen drank it himself. Much to Misato's annoyance, "I hate this city..."

* * *

**District 7**

"Report!"

"Nothing..." The GM pilot grumbled to his overexcited squad leader, "And it'll be the same answer the next time you call because there's nothing out here!"

"If there was nothing out here then why did we get a heat surge?"

"Oh I don't know..." The GM pilot said to himself, "Maybe it's the giant pit of molten hot lava left over from the dragon that died out here!"

"Oh yeah!" Noriko shouted while the pilot slapped his palm onto his face, "Were you there?"

"If you count turning your pants brown while sitting in a disabled GM and heard a dragon outside going to town on your home and friends."

"Oh..." The girl awkwardly replied, "Well keep checking..."

"Yes ma'am..." The pilot mumbled and received an incoming signal for a private channel, "Go ahead."

"What do you think of Officer Newbie?"

"This is just a patrol mission, we'll see what she's really made of when rocks start to fall." The pilot said to another member of their patrol, "But damn...she's taking this assignment way to zealously."

"Remind you of Oldsen?"

"Not quite that bad..." The GM pilot answered, reminded of a similar officer who died very horribly during the Unicorn Charge, "Yet..."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Officer Takaya!" How did she listen in on a private channel? "How did you access this frequency?"

"You're using your phones?"

"You're not?" Before the GM pilot could go any further, he heard a dull roar from a distant that was too close to be safe, "What was that?"

"All units form up!" Noriko shouted, prompting several nearby GMs of various eras to form into a skirmish formation that looked in all directions. The ground shook as they heard something step towards them, "It's getting closer..."

"Whatever it is must be huge..." A GM that hadn't joined the formation reported, "It's still sixty miles west-" The pilot was interrupted by the sound of metal crunching and flesh ripping before the comm went dead.

"Branson? Branson!" Noriko shouted and only heard static, "Hillary! Braynor! Ron! With me! Everyone else hang back!"

"Yes ma'am!" Ron followed after two GMs and an Arc Jegan eventually coming to a shallow crater in the ground that housed a single ravaged GM.

"Branson..." Hillary inhaled as the four of them approached what used to be a piloted GM. A GM whose torso and broken cockpit was covered in recently spilled blood, "No one can lose this much blood and still be alive..."

"He's dead..." Noriko muttered in shock, but to her credit managed to stay in control, "But where's his GM?"

"Gone..." Braynor's GM knelt down to Branson's GM, "Whatever killed him...melted down the mobile suit and wrenched him out of it..."

"There's weapons that precise?"

"It's not a weapon..." Braynor observed while his gm stood up from Branson's raveged unit, "The savagery...the non-considerate destruction...he was hunted...and eaten..."

"By what?"

"I'm calling HQ, defensive formations!" Noriko commanded as the remaining four GMs did as ordered, "I'm...I'm not getting a signal..."

"Whatever killed Branson...lured us here..."

"Why though?"

"It's a trap..." Braynor figured as the soft dirt behind them rose to reveal their hunter, "Cleaver boy..."

* * *

**District 42**

"RUN!" A panicked pedestrian shouted as he pointed back to the monstrosity that had ruined his morning, "IT'S GODZILLA!"

"Actually it walks more like a t-rex with a bigger jaw." On the comment of his geeky friend, the panicked pedestrian did indeed see what he was saying. The monster was giant-sized, but appeared to be more alike to a raptor of some sort. It had rough, square-shaped jaws, a long neck, large, fin-shaped dorsal spines and long, powerful legs and arms. He also possessed a seemingly vestigial toe on the back of of each foot and three dinosaur-like toes on the front of each foot, and a huge chin. This however didn't seem too important because it produced a high powered blue beam from it's mouth that evaporated several nearby buildings, "Even though that atomic blast does look legit."

"SO WE SHOULD RUN LIKE IT IS GODZILLA!"

"True," His friend admitted, "But it's not."

"Tell him that." The pedestrian said while pointing to a DF infantry man who took out a rocket launcher and fired it at the fakezilla, "That wasn't smart!"

"Move in! Move in!" The Commando shouted while several others joined him and opened fire on the 90 meter tall monster, "Anomaly sighted! Send Help as soon as possible! Over!"

"Get down!" A Commando told the two civilians and ushered them into a makeshift fox hole in the middle of the street, "And whatever you don't, don't move until-" The fakezilla swiped its tail, decapitating the commando and knocking down several others as fakezilla went on the offensive.

"Until what?" The pedestrian asked as fakezilla fired another Atomic Blast that killed many of the commandoes and scattered the remainder, "Guess we'll never know..."

"Stay down you idiot!" The geek yelled to his friend as the reptile stepped next to their hole and gazed around the area...sniffing for something, "What did you order at that restaurant?"

"Salmon, Shrimp and Dolphin salad." The predestrian answered while the geek gulped, "What?"

"I think I saw a hot nerdy big-busted college-aged bisexual nymphomaniac in a wet t-shirt and thong fall into a mud pit a second ago."

"WHERE?" The pedestrain jumped out of the hole and immediately remembered why he was hidden in the first place, "Oh shit-" The fakezilla bit into the street, taking the pedestrian with him while his friend looked on in horror.

"Oh my god...fake godzilla killed Kenny..." The geek muttered before sighting a dropped assault rifle, "YOU BASTARD!"

"No!" He was stopped from grabbing the rifle by a hot nerdy big-busted college-aged bisexual nymphomaniac in a wet muddy t-shirt and thong who tackled him and caused both of them to fall into the hole with him on top of her, "Stay down you fool! Don't worthlessly throw away your life!"

"I just...miss my friend..." The geek muttered while debris covered them and trapped him in between her boobs, "A little less now...but I still miss him."

"We need to get to the shelters-"

"Nah...I think we're better off staying in one spot." The geek said with a reddening face, "Hope Kenny doesn't hold this against me."

* * *

**District 13**

"GODZILLA!"

"Run! It's-" The screaming pedestrian was stopped because his friend noticed something about the monster that they were running from, "Hang on...I think we're being ripped!"

"That's not godzilla!" The screamer shouted as the mechanical creature stomped into view, "It's some cheap mechanical rip-off of godzilla!"

"I'd call it an authentic mechanical replica of godzilla."

"But's still a rip-off!"

"An expensive rip-off." An doubts about it's lethality was crushed when laser beams fired from it's open arms and demolished an entire row of buildings, "An expansively destructive rip-off."

"So should we run?" The screamer asked only to see that the other guy had already started running, "Where did he go?

"In other words, yes," A nearby businessman on his breakfast break answered calmly amidst the chaost, "Yes, we should run."

"Then why haven't we ran yet?"

"I'm finishing my tea." The heavily scarred individual said before he finished his drink, "Nothing like Chinese Tea for the start to a hard day's work!"

"What do you do around here?"

"Hold up...Come! Dom!" The building in front of him collapsed and revealed a Universal Century Dom holding a large bazooka, "Catch ya later."

* * *

**District 16**

"GODZILLA!"

"Wait a minute..." While the monster certainly looked like Godzilla, it had navy-blue and dark reddish-purple skin and was noticably taller and overweight. It had two big shoulder crystals on each shoulder, a long tail and had another type of crystal dorsal plates run along it's on his back. In addition, the creature had tusks on the sides of his mouth, red eyes and an orange crown on its forehead. "Godzilla doesn't have giant crystals growing out of it's body. That thing's a phonie!"

"Why don't you go tell him then?"

"I will!" The panicked pedestrian yelled back as he walked before the shadow of the levitating crystal godzilla and looked up at it as it looked down in curiosity, "Hey you! You're not Godzilla! You're just a big phonie!"

"I can see this ending well."

"Hey everyone! Don't run!" The pedestrian shouted to nearby running civilians, "This guy's just a phonie-" Gravity utterly betrayed him at that moment because he was thrown straight upwards.

"Called it." A nearby hot dog salesman said as the fool fell back into gravity's cage and was reduced to a scarlet red stain while the people continued to run in fear and panic.

"Like you'll live to spend it." His number one customer muttered while he handed five bucks to the salesman as buildings were lifted from their foundation and people pulled off of the ground.

"Wanna take that bet?"

"You're on!" The customer shouted just before another civilian broke a car in half after falling on it from 5,000 feet in the air, "I don't want to be a human pancake..."

"Wanna run away like little girls?"

"Sexist..." The customer rebuked the salesman who had decided to close up early on account of raining people and debris, "But yes!"

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Bridge**

"We're under attack!"

"Shut up random bridge bunny!" Seto Kaiba commanded as he, Yugi and Misato for some reason arrived to the panicking command bridge where most of it's workers were running around like headless chickens, "Someone report!"

"We've had multiple sightings of an anomaly attacking the city sir." Briefs reported from his desk, "DF squads are mobilizing, but damage toll is increasing by the minute."

"Why is anything that we don't know about called an anomaly?" Yugi asked as the screen oddly didn't show anything pertaining to what was attacking the city, "How about some visualization?"

"Can't sir...the surveillance system has been bugged since last night."

"Mokuba?"

"I'm fixing it!"

"Some things never change." Misato muttered with a smirk as she stepped out from behind Kaiba and sat next to Maya, "How many can be confirmed?"

"Seven." Maya reported, "Seven anomalies!"

"Where are they?"

"We've confirmed sightings in Districts 13, 15, 16, 42, 46, and 49, Misato." Maya continued while typing away on the console, "According to reports siphoned from frantic phone calls and reports from first-engagment regiments, the targets are oversized reptiles who are moving further into the city."

"Get me a map of the city!" Despite not having any actual authority, her commanding tone still caused the viewscreen to activate and show a 2 dimensional image of Angel Groove in it's entirety with red districts flashing red to indicate where the anomalies had been sighted, "Three of them are grouped close together in the south...two are in the north...and one's practically outside of the command district...they're going for the Command Center."

"Gee...just like everyone else whose attacked this city." Kaiba stated, "Whose responding to what?"

"This is Simon! Aniki and I will take District 13!"

"I've met with a platoon in 15, mission accepted."

"The Blitz Team versus fake godzilla?"

"Why do we have to fight it-"

"Cause that's the only way that you'll get your next paycheck Brad."

"Like the Doctor said, Blitz's got 42."

"Myself and Escaflowne will engage the adversary in District 46!"

"I'm engaging the target in 49. Big O! Showtime!"

"What about District 16 and the location of the 7th Anamoly?"

"Sir, we have no way of detecting the 7th Anamoly-" The bridge bunny was interrupted when he found another signal, "Hold on...I'm picking up a transceiver in District 7...coming from an Officer issued Jeagan."

"Track it!" Misato commanded again, "That might be one of the patrol units that you lost...the anamoly probably ate it."

"Where is it going?"

"Sir, its currently in District 7 and..." A bridge bunny answered Kaiba, "We've confirmed contact, the 4th DF regiment has engaged the anamoly."

"We need to see what we're dealing with," Yugi stated as Kaiba mockingly mimicked him, "Put it on screen."

"About time," Kaiba said as another viewscreen activated to show the perspective of a shaky camera filled with explosions being traded between several GMS and Guntanks and a reptilian dinosaur whose roar seemed very familiar, "When did my city become Jurassic Park?"

"It's a change from your dragon fetish."

"Sir!" Another technician shouted, "Major Ikari has powered up Anima and is awaiting launch clearance to District 7."

"Belay that request!"

"Misato?" Shinji said over the comm, "What is she doing there?"

"Strategic Advice." Misato answered, "Shinji...that thing is acting as part of a group. So why is it going in the opposite direction of the rest of the pack? It's trying to split apart the city's defenses...divide and conquer!"

"That would've been helpful before I divided my forces."

"See? This what happens when your strategical adviser sucks at card games."

"WILL YOU SHUT UP ABOUT STUPID CARD GAMES?" Misato shouted to the unamused Yugi, "Trust me Shinji, just wait-"

"I'm detecting another launch!" Briefs yelled out, "Eva 03 is launching towards District 16!"

"What?" Misato asked, shocked at this latest news, "What the hell is Toji doing?"

"You can yell at me later, but I'm not gonna lie around while those things tear this place apart!" Toji yelled through the intercom, "Anyone else in that area?"

"Toji...Shinji..." Misato muttered to herself, they were the last two and they were slipping away from her... "Listen to me Toji...this is unlike anything that you've faced till now. Whatever you do, DO NOT LOWER YOUR AT FIELD! THAT IS AN ORDER!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Where is the 7th Anamoly projected to go?" Shinji asked, "Anyone?"

"District 6." Misato almost felt betrayed by the advice of one of the Command Staff, "You're best bet is to intercept it there."

"Thanks Maya..." Shinji said gratefully, "Don't worry Misato, I won't run away."

"Shinji..."

"I may be a coward...but I'm not gonna let the enemy know that."

"Anima's cage is being moved to District 5...something's wrong with the transfer program in 6..." Maya stated before she looked in Misato's direction and saw how her former commanding officer was looking straight ahead with a stoic look on her face, "For what it's worth, I agree with you Misato..."

"Don't worry about it Maya," Misato already figured why Shinji was doing this, "The boys wanna be grown-ups and make their own decisions? They'll learn the hard way about why being grown-up sucks."

"Do enlighten me."

"You're on your own."

"Better than having a dick dad or a neglectful guardian."

"Or living your grandpa." Kaiba chimed in carelessly, "Right Yugi?"

"I OWN THE DAMN HOUSE!"

* * *

**District 16**

"That thing...is kind of big..." Toji gulped from within the pilot capsule of Unit 03, "Feels nice to be on my feet either way..." Behind the black eva, two rifles emerged from the launch catapult which Toji grabbed without second thought.

"A BOWA Beam Rifle and a Hyper Mega Launcher? Isn't this kind of overkill?" Toji said to himself as he felt the weight of the guns through Eva's arms, "Alright Eva...I know that neither of us should be out right now...but just bare with me...k?"

"Up for this huh?" Toji grinned as the target split apart a building, "Glad we agree!" Unit 03 opened fire with both weapons, undiscouraged that most of the firepower of these weapons were being diverted by an unseen barrier. Said barrier seemed to be why so many buildings were floating in the air, so Toji decided to fight fire with fire. He concentrated, extended the AT Field to clash against this anti-gravity barrier. Anything caught between the barrier clash was crushed and dismantled as Toji continued to fire and finally pierced it's chest.

The target roared and fired a red beam from it's mouth that diverted around Toji's beam fire and hit the ground in front of Toji's barrier. The AT field held, but the force of the attack lifted the air around the barrier including Eva itself. Tossed into the air, Toji could only watch as the ground shifted around until it was above him as the force of the zilla's power turned Unit 03's axis of gravity on it's head as it slammed against the newly airborne ground.

"Issac Newton's spinning in his grave somewhere..." Toji grumbled before Eva flipped onto it's feet in time to avoid rapidly approaching crystal that embedded itself into the ground and started to glow, "Shit!" Unit 03 leapt back in time to avoid the explosion and the resultant gravity lift that threw more debris into the air. Having lost the BOWA rifle, Toji emptied the full power of the HML at the still floating target and seared off it's shoulder and shoulder-mounted crystal.

As the creature fell to the ground, Toji threw away the HML and spotted the BOWA ahead of him. 03 grabbed the BOWA as it charged for crystal godzilla, launched itself into the air in time to avoid another beam and fell downwards, thrusting the BOWA's barrel mounted beam saber into it's chest. The ground shook from the impact as the creature roared in protest. 03 used it's AT field to keep the BOWA embedded into the creature as it pulled out it's Progressive Knive and threw down a stab at it's neck.

Then the knife floated out of it's grip.

It almost seemed like the creature was smiling or maybe it was the glow from it's charging mouth. Either way...

Toji knew that it wanted to break him.

The boy screamed as a red-hot beam of energy and anti-gravitational force enveloped 03 and launched it into the air, floating upwards instead of falling down. Grunting in pain and panicking because of his situation, it was a wonder that Toji was able to focus on the regenerating shoulder and crystal of the target as it looked up at 03. It fired another beam that was intercepted by 03's AT Field though the gravitational force behind it spun 03 around and around. Between panic, pain, and now extreme dizziness, another hit would probably kill Toji due to the rush to his nervous system.

Fortunately, a beam of charged particle energy tore through crystal godzilla's side and threw it from it's place. Also causing Toji to fall down again, except that his fall was lightened by a Trapar Wave.

"Vanguard's the worst place in a battle," Vega noted to the landing 03 from within his Berserk Fuhrer, "Unless you've got backup, you up for this?"

"I don't really have any other choice."

"Yes you do, you could've stayed in bed." Aoi muttered from the Nirvash now armed with two large bladed shields, "Coming out here's not the smart choice, but it is a choice."

"Whatever, let's just kick this guy's ass!" Toji shouted as crystal godzilla stood up and roared to accept the challenge of these newcomers, "Any ideas?"

"There isn't much you can do against gravity." Aoi answered as crystal godzilla fired another gravity beam that Nirvash narrowly avoided and was lifted up into the air as a result, "EXCEPT WORK WITH IT!" Nirvash unleashed a colorful wave of trapar energy that spun around the mecha as it brought it's shields together into a surfboard that it mounted. Using the trapar waves, Nirvash surfed towards crystal godzilla and slashed it's board through it's neck and one of it's shoulder mounted crystals. Spinning back around, the grey mecha then fired a series of rockets from its shoulders that exploded upon impacted Zilla's back.

"Put that AT Field around my head okay?"

"Sure...but what for?" Toji asked before the Berserk Fuhrer fired a charged particle beam from it's mouth that was not diverted due to the octagonal barrier that extended along the beam even as it blasted into crystal godzilla's chest, "Nice!"

"I thought so too." Vega was very pleased with himself too, "This'll be fun after all!"

* * *

**District 6 Emergency Shelter**

"There's a lot of fighting in 13 too."

"Anyone know what's attacking us?"

"Remember that American godzilla lizard that attacked New York 17 years ago?" Hikari heard from the chatter of the numerous thousands gathered in the fortified shelter while she sat in the middle of the kids, "There's four of them and they're a lot tougher this time around."

"Why are these monsters attacking the city?"

"Who cares! The rangers will kill them just like every other one!"

"Hang on...I'm getting something in!" Someone with a radio called out as he listened through his earphones, "Ah shit...doesn't sound good in 49..."

"What's happening?"

"Big O's getting schooled..." Hikari gasped at hearing the news about Roger, "In fact...the only district that's holding up is 15 and just barely."

"Are we going to die Miss Hikari?"

"No Suza, we're going to be just fine." Hikari assured the girl and hugged her while she just sobbed, "I was going to say this earlier, but this city does get a lot of attacks from monsters."

"But the Rangers fight the monsters right?"

"Yeah..." Hikari answered a boy who was trying to be brave, "So we'll just wait here until they're done."

"Hey where's Unit 01-" The man was halted when a thunderous roar shook the entire shelter, "What was that?"

"It sounded pretty close!" The children cried as explosion after explosion vibrated from outside the shelter, "The fighting's getting dragged above us!"

"This isn't good..." Hikari said to herself, "Everyone, we need to go to a lower level alright?"

"Okay..." Hikari hated how this attack had brought the tour to a sudden halt. The children were so excited and happy to be shown around a place where they wouldn't have to live in constant fear.

Then this attack happens.

"Attention! This shelter's integrity has been compromised!" Warning alerts blarred through the shelter and caused people to panic. "All non-defense personnel are to evacuate to the adjacent shelter-" The reporter screamed and was gagged by the sound of searing flesh and bone as a large form broke through the shelter's wall and threw debris inside.

There it was...standing on powerful legs with blood and fuel dripping from it's large teeth filled jaws. Maybe it wasn't godzilla, but Hikari didn't care. It held GM in it's mouth whose pilot cried out for help. She sounded like she was barely older than Noriko, frantically crying while the creature just looked upon it's new meal.

The screams were muffled when it swallowed, making room for the thousands who stood panicked before it.

It stomped towards the masses, looking from human to human as if trying to decide which group to eat first. As it walked, the masses were given a look at it's massive hide that was riddled with multiple holes and cuts. Wounds that were already healing as it made it's way towards Hikari, who stood in front of the children in some bizzare futile attempt to protect them.

It seemed to savor fear because its head hovered over the crying the children and then bent down to Hikari. It's mouth opened, revealing a long and wide pink tongue whose tip enveloped and prodded Hikari...savoring it's first taste. It then raised itself up, leaving Hikari drenched in saliva that tasted like fuel and blood. But she couldn't cry...

Even if she really wanted to.

Another crash broke the atmosphere as a purple figure crashed through another part of the wall and rammed it's head into the creature's neck. The masses cheered as it growled and threw the lizard over it's head and into the ceiling.

"Shinji!" Hikari cried out as the children began to cheer. Anima brought out it's helix glaive and sliced into the lizard's still healing wound, splashing blood into the shelter while Anima kicked it into a nearby launch catapult. As it charged, the creature fired a beam of blue fire that drilled a hole through Anima's chest. Ignoring it's injuring, Anima embedded it's lance through the lizard's chest and pressed down.

"Maya!" Shinji shouted as the launch catapult came to life and shot upwards, leaving a trail of blood as Eva kept pressing the lizard's head against the exposed part of the catapult.

* * *

**Command Center**

"What do you mean he's out of town!"

"He had an emergency and had to leave."

"Alright...just tell Mikey that I wish the best." Mokuba said as he hung up the phone, "He'll be back for the next round of trouble."

"Anima's engaging the anomaly in District 5!" Briefs reported as radio signals ran through the Command Center, "I'm getting a visual!"

"Put it on screen!" Misato shouted and nothing happened, "Please and thank you?"

"Do what the woman says." Seto commanded casually and the viewscreen shifted to an video of Anima manhandling a protesting "Zilla" and carving out it's heart with what looked like a spoon, "See? This is what happens when you don't treat people like crap...they're effective."

"This coming from the guy who nearly killed my grandpa over the most exaggerated duel monster's card in history-"

"Yugi, I'm about this close to using my pimp hand." Before Kaiba could follow up on this threat, Anima's lights dulled and it slumped harmlessly onto the seemingly confused Zilla, "Mokuba..."

"That's...weird..." Mokuba muttered as if he was starting to remember something that he'd forgotten, "Did...Eva just run out of power?"

"Yes sir..."

"Why?" Mokuba asked himself, "Briefs! You were supposed to refuel her!"

"I...did..." Briefs replied, "Check the logs! I did what you told me-"

"Nevermind," Mokuba cut off the panicking technician as Zilla nudged the still Evangelion and pushed it onto it's back in curiosity, "Someone must've sabotaged Eva's internal battery so that they could capture it later."

"It's AT Field should still be active right?" Jilting it's head to the right, Zilla stomped it's foot onto Eva's chest and bit into it's shoulder...wrenching off the attached arm, "Guess not..."

"Well...you know what they say..." One technician said as Zilla chewed on and spat out Eva's arm before it started biting off pieces of it's armor, "What goes around...comes around..."

"Come here..." Misato said to the techie, as he approached, Misato wrapped her arm around his neck and snapped it with minimal effort, "He'll live."

"But it's biting out his chest-" Yugi started to say and then realized that she was talking about the techie with a broken neck, "Oh...you're talking about someone else."

* * *

**Skies outside of Angel Groove**

"NO!" Blackout accelerated his speed, uncaring of any fleshling that might detect him.

If he didn't make in time, then all of their plans would be for nothing.

It was supposed to be a simple operation. Once Reedman interrupted the security and communication of the fleshlings, then his fellows would launch a two-pronged assault. One from the outside and one from the inside. In the confusion, he would slip in and take the Lilin at the same time that Reedman and Scorponox captured the offspring of Ikari.

But something went horribly wrong.

It wasn't the fact that a group of reptillian creatures had attacked the city, Blackout was sure that this was the intention of the albino called Tabris. It wasn't even that the city would be more heavily prepared or fortified with competent fleshling warriors.

The Lilin's power had been depleted.

That was why Blackout didn't want Reedman on this assignment...as effective and covert as he was, he was terrible at keeping things clean. In his experience, Blackout could always count on some minor detail being overlooked, a simple objective being overdone or Reedman just being plain cocky...believing that he knew better than any of his superiors.

Whereas Frenzy would've simply found the offspring's DNA...Reedman took an unnecessary extra step...

On the Orders of their failure of a "leader".

"STARSCREAM!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Now I'm just going to go out and say that I didn't originally plan anything like this.**

**But now that I've written it, I'm pretty satisfied with the results.**

**Once the idea just stuck in my mind, I decided to incorporate the "zillas" so that they would be a mix between the American TV Show "godzilla Jr." with has the best of the original and american godzillas with the savagery, relentless and brutality of the original Sharptooth from Land Before Time.**

**As for the real godzilla that was not in this chapter? He's on break with his son so pray that no one disturbs him.**

**Evangelion 3.0 came out last week on the 17th and apparently fans are tearing each other apart. In short, it seems like a movie that fans of evangelion and anime will either really love or really hate. It deviates that much from the story of the original anime...even more than 2.0 did.**

**Which saves me a lot of anxiety too...because I couldn't mess up the timeline anymore than Anno reportedly has."**

**And...well...it's been 2 years since this story first started as a random and irreverent one-shot. Update pace has been terrible in retrospect, but I'd like to thank all of you for sticking around for those 2 years. This story now has 20 chapters with a 9 chapter spin-off and a reasonably lengthy tv tropes page. Couldn't have done it without you guys.**

**Later.**

**PS: A pic of the main cast done by jowywhiteh on Deviantart at the request of a fan: http: art/can-beat- my-Mecha-team- rage-322742648 Thanks Dude!**

**PSS: Happy Thanksgiving!**


	21. Roar II

**INNN...SPACE!**

Soundwave was not having a good day.

He growled while he spun through the empty vacuum of space above the orbit of a planet that may as well have been called "Dirt."

Planet Dirt.

It was supposed to be a simple infiltration, search and extract operation that would allow for the revival of their people. The plan was simple and solid. Reedman, Scorponox and Barricade would infiltrate the city where the Lilin was reportedly stored and gather information on the city's infrastructure, the tactics and strength of it's defense force, where would be the best place to strike in order to cripple the city and the identity of the Lilin's pilot which Blackout had been prevented from finding.

Once their task had been fulfilled, Soundwave would create an ultrasonic disturbance that would disrupt the survailance capability of Angel Groove and allow specifically chosen and trained decepticon strike force to attack the city once another threat-worthy anomaly struck. While the Defense Force was focused on the anomaly, the strike force would track down the Lilin and acquire the Lilin, capture it's pilot and leave under the noses of the occupied Defense Force.

Until someone screwed it up.

Reedman went too far in sabotaging the capabilities of the fleshlings...ensuring that the Lilin would enter battle with a near-exhausted amount of power that would quickly run out. Leaving it vulnerable to destruction by it's enemies.

And dooming the goal of the Decepticons.

Worst of all, Soundwave was no longer in position to do anything to correct this problem. Mainly due to the Blue bi-pedel mecha with black and white trim and pylons on it's shoulders that attacked the decepticon and forced it into this high-speed battle.

"How ya doing!" Soundwave manuevered it's fin to block the hyper blade that the humanoid newcomer swung at the decepticon. Within the vacuum of space, Soundwave rapidly rotated as it used it's energon to convert it's satellite form into combat mode while the pyloned mecha flew towards Soundwave with blue chaotic wings that were glowing with the solar reflection of this system's star.

Quickly going through it's databases, Soundwave identified the attacker as a bio-mechanical mecha known as the Homodrone 01. Not much was known about the mecha except that it's designer, Jonathan Besheti had mysteriously vanished while the prototype was being built and the entire project vanished from official fleshling records. Hoofman Jones Inc., the company which had funded the project had reportedly declared bankruptcy and was bought by a young egotistical brat shortly after Jonathan's son was reported to have died in a meteor shower.

"Challenge accepted." Soundwave fired a massive beam at the H-01 which was deflected by the machine's energy barrier. The Homodrone clashed with Soundwave's electric barrier as both fired high amounts of energy-based gunfire at one another to break the other's defenses. Soundwave grunted when the Homodrone's wing slashed through it's hull and blasted it further away from Earth's orbit. Never one to back down, Soundwave threw out a tentacle that wrapped around the Homodrone's arm and pulled it out towards the decepticon where the H-01's chest was bashed in by Soundwave's charged fin.

The mecha recovered and brandished an energy knife with the same properties as it's sword and used it to cut Soundwave's tentacle in time to use it's barrier to protect from Soundwave's Sonic Cannons. The H-01 and Soundwave clashed energized fin with blade as they rapidly spun within orbit between the earth and the moon. Soundwave watched the mecha's arms turn into a cannon and decided to follow suit, bringing out his own arms and aiming with the wrist-mounted plasma coil guns. While the H-01 fired, Soundwave increased the power within it's shield and charged for the humanoid mecha.

With their barriers neutralizing each other, Soundwave was free to open fire with all of his weapons at point blank range. While firing his plasma coils to distract the attention of the fleshling, Soundwave unleashed his Sonic Cannon. While the cannon was normally only half as effective in the vacuum of space, Soundwave could still apply it's effects to the inside of the metal exterior of this mecha and kill it's pilot.

For good measure, Soundwave fired another Sonic Cannon while keeping the mecha clamped within it's fins. It was infuriated when the life readings of it's pilot failed to drop and when the three fins on top of the Homodrone's head formed into a charged horn that fired a small pulse beam through Soundwave's left eye. Howling in pain, Soundwave was forced to loosen it's grip on the mecha while it freed itself and flew backwards and brandished it's hyper sword once again. As Soundwave gathered his composure, his mind calculated exactly how the pilot of this mecha was able to survive his firepower. No human fleshling could've survived that...unless they had some high grade of cybernetics installed into their body.

At least he knew who this mecha's pilot was.

Soundwave was angered, not only was this fool distracting him from his objective, but this entire battle had forced the intelligence officer to exhaust much of his energon. While he estimated that his chances of victory were still in his favor, he knew that he would not survive to enjoy that victory and would be rendered as a paralyzed and useless piece of junk floating through space. Furthermore, it was too soon to call upon reinforcements from the Nemesis which meant that Soundwave's only option was to retreat or quickly neutralize the Homodrone.

Either choice would not be easy.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"Friends of yours or friends of Kaji, Fuyutski?"

"Dr. Halsey, what makes you think that I know?"

"You tend to be in the middle of messy situations."

"Like you're one to talk."

"Getting reacquinted already I see?" Kaji asked his elderly fellows in captivity while all three sat in the seats of a moving plane with a nearby guard sitting nearby wearing body armor, "It least you all sound friendlier than these fellows."

"What do they want the two of you for?"

"Me...I pissed off Makarov one too many times." Kaji admitted with a chuckle while Catherine Halsey remained unamused, "Fuyutski, just knows a little too much."

"What can i say? Fate hates me." Fuyutski replied and saw one of their captors walk over to their row, "Are we going to land anytime soon? My legs are quite cramped."

"We'll take a twenty minute pit stop in about an hour." The guard answered in a heavy Ukrainian accent, "Then you'll have someone to talk with about skirts Ryoji."

"Another playboy? Cool! What's his record?"

"He's a royal, what do you expect?" Kaji's smile grew a little more tame when he realized who the guard was talking about, "Problem?"

"There might be one."

"You better swallow it soon."

"For you." Kaji continued as Fuyutski's signed in exsperation, "Whatever you think you need this royal for...it really isn't worth it. Trust me, you're better off just killing him."

"You think that we haven't tried?"

"Apparently not hard enough." Kaji said as the guard raised his gun to hit Kaji with it and then relented and walked down the aisle, "See what I mean? Why can't we ever get in trouble with friendly people?"

"This is what happens when you simply bite off more than you can chew gentlemen." Halsey emotionlessly chided her fellow captives as though they were children, "Now do you see why I left SEELE? Or why I wouldn't have anything to do with GEHIRN and Eva?"

"How about the armor design for Unit 01? And the design that Eva Anima is now using?"

"I threw the designs into the trash. It's not my fault that Ritsuko and Kaiba's brother decided to dig through it." Halsey answered Fuyutski, "Nice to see that Yui's plans never change."

"It's more frustrating than anything else...because nothing will stop it at this point." Fuyutski growled while Halsey looked towards him expecting him to continue, "I suppose you want to know about her full plan, don't you?"

"She's that desperate to fulfill that stupid theory of hers?"

"Apparently so, ma'am." Fuyutski answered, "And I was the one who helped her do it...all because I thought humanity needed to forge a new path for it's destiny...but the path that Yui wanted...that Gendo wants...that SEELE wants...I can't be apart of it anymore. I never should have been apart of it."

"What part do her children have to play?" Kaji gasped when Halsey spoke, "You didn't know? Some spy you are."

"To be fair...I always thought that Yui's daughter died in childbirth." Kaji replied, "Apparently, Gendo lied about that too. Big shocker. At least Shinji will be happy when he finds out that he's not alone."

"Why did Yui leave him alone in the first place?" Kozo watched Halsey shake her head in pity, "Of course, you would've seen this coming. Then why didn't you-"

"You know that anything that I did would've changed nothing in the long term." Halsey answered her former colleague, "I helped him when I could. Better than one could say for either his father or his mother. So don't you dare start pointing at me-"

"Believe me Catherine, I'm more at fault than you are. I won't deny that." Fuyutski said, "I just...I...I had this personal fantasy of mine."

"Oh dear...tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

"Not that kind of fantasy," Fuyutski chided Kaji, "It was...a personal one...one that I always thought of whenever I desired some small measure of peace. I would...think back to when Yui was in my class. She had mine an hour after she'd had Meta-physiology with Professor Katsuragi and she'd always talk with me before and after class about how the useless tenents of meta-physics could be applied to Kinetic Expansion and Application Theories long since ruled impossible. She always talked about her master theory...one that would revolutionize evolution and all past thoughts concerning life and growth."

"I wasn't at the hearing, but what she said and presented persuaded the academy board to grant her graduation." Halsey's features softened into a smirk as Kaji listened to Fuyutski's account, "Imagine the looks on so many faces to know that a 16 year old girl accomplished within 2 years what many spent a decade to accomplish. They even accused her mother of pulling strings behind scenes, accusations which were unfounded by the woman's neglect for her daughter...nowhere near as bad as Gendo's...but it's affects still harmed Yui."

"Soon afterwards, she was assigned to the Unicorn's Counter Charge as a Meta-physics expert. She came out relatively the same...except she had focused her viewpoints into a vision." Fuyutski paused and continued, A vision that humanity once held a mantle of infinite legacy and with her plan, humanity would reclaim that mantle. In fact, she stated proudly that despite there being forces who would want to negate this event...the reclamation had already begun and they were hopeless to stop it."

"At first, I dismissed it as newfound confidence..." The old man shook his head, his features now belonging to a man who was 80 rather than 60, "Then she married Gendo...and became involved in Seele's plot. When I learned of just how involved that she had become...a small part of my heart died. She had even gone as far as to lay out plans for her own children, plans that would rob them...plans...that they had no choice in the matter about."

"Ironically, Gendo gave me a beacon of hope. When he abandoned her children, I hoped to never see them again." Kaji's eyes narrowed before Halsey nodded for the old man to continue, "There's this cafe in Toronto that I used to go to every now and then. That is where my fantasy was first born...I hoped...that one day at about this time or a few years from now...I would sit down at my usual table, order a cappichino and enjoy the nice weather."

"Then, I would look across the aisle and there I would see Shinji and his sister. They would be laughing together with a nice young man and a pretty girl who they were sharing their lives with. Then, Shinji would look over in my direction and regard me oddly...as if he only vaguely remembered me. I would smile and nod, he in turn would smile and nod back. He wouldn't know me...we would probably never see each other after that...but we would both know that he was happy."

"That fantasy was destroyed when his father called him to Nerv." Kozo finished with utter defeat, "I saw his face when he was introduced to Unit 01 and told that his father called him because he was useful. On that day, the Fourth Angel was destroyed...and the last portions of a happy smiling boy died with it. I realized then that Gendo and Yui had trapped Shinji and he couldn't escape. With that realization, I gave up...because I knew that if Shinji could never be free...neither could I."

"On the bright side...He's probably a lot happier in the Groove."

"Not if Rokubongai has his way." Halsey replied, drawing the attention of her fellow captives, "How else do you think that these poorly equipped fanatical terrorists had managed relocate me from Jaburo?"

"I was wondering how you got out of there." Kaji admitted with keen curiosity, "The place survived a colony drop for crying out loud. I don't think that these guys broke into the prison."

"Jaburo's invincibility is more of a matter of intimidation, reputation and holding it's prisoners within psychological and physical cages." Halsey casually explained, "All you have to do is keep your head on your shoulders until one of the guards fail to close the door behind them."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because I was commanded to activate a specific and secretive code that is capable of shutting down any security net and program known to man and alien." Halsey continued to Kaji's humored amazement and Fuyutski's quiet caution, "So now one must wonder what is the next step in the prince's grand plan?"

"Maybe he doesn't have a plan."

"Kaji...he always has a plan. It's just a matter of figuring out if he wants us to die in that plan..."

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Mokuba...how much money was spent upgrading Evangelion?"

"Eh..." The Younger Kaiba fiddled his fingers while the entire command center watch as a large reptile ripped apart Anima's abdomen and chest, "More than 200 Billion? Why?"

"And with all of that money, how come I am watching this 200 billion investment get ripped apart by an overgrown atomic lizard?"

"Because Anima ran out of power?"

"And with all of the money that you spent...you didn't install some sort of fail safe?"

"It...wasn't finished yet." Yugi burst out laughing as Seto groaned at his rival and Mokuba felt more sweat build on his forehead, "Seto?"

"Let this be a lesson to you Mokuba." Seto stated as Zilla grew bored with the unmoving Eva and roared at a platoon of newly arrived gms, "It's better to take your time with stuff than to rush and bring out an incomplete product. Lesson learned?"

"Lesson learned."

"Good." Seto said and pointed Mokuba towards the exit, "Get to work."

"Yes Seto..."

"And no playing House with Kiyal!" Mokuba cried out in embarressment as he dashed out of the center and left Seto standing in front of his chair. With Misato glaring knives at him, "Hell's wrong with you?"

"WITH ME? WHAT ABOUT YOU!" Misato roared, "HOW CAN YOU JUST STAND THERE SO CALMLY WHILE SHINJI WAS BEING RIPPED APART BY THAT THING?"

"Just like this." Seto immediately stood still and started singing a song, "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the other; By the time I finish my song?"

"WILL YOU STOP THAT!"

"Great...now he'll just finish to piss you off!" Yugi pointed out as Seto started humming, "Odd...I guess he's not in the mood...strange..."

"You're sick...you know that?"

"Please...I haven't been sick since Step Dad left me in the North Pole because I caught a cold." Seto chuckled to Misato, "Or what? You just now realized that sending kids into a warzone is bad?"

"You're pointing fingers at me when you just sent him out there-"

"No, he choose to go out there and is suffering due to technical issues. Technical issues can be fixed." As Seto spoke, a GM was viciously crushed under the tail of a Zilla and grounded into oil and metal, "I didn't even care if he went out there and I didn't emotionally blackmail him-"

"But you did blackmail him."

"I don't even remember what I used." Seto yawned, "Hows the comm?"

"That interference is weakening sir!" The bridge bunny answered while the communication grid for the whole city started to recover from whatever had happened, "Ah shit..."

"What?"

"We're losing sir..." A technician reported as the Command Screen changed to six different visuals of the City's defenses fighting for it's life, "Badly."

"Oh no!" A heavy muscled former wrestler shouted from one of the computers, "Quick! Change the channel!"

"You dumbass!" An Australian body builder roared, "Get to the choppa!"

"I'm surrounded by morons." Yugi muttered as he summoned a chair with his card and sat in it, "Waiter, get me some water."

"I'm not your waiter Yugi." Seto said to his eternal rival, "You sure that you don't want something stronger?"

"I'd like to be sober in the midst of death thank you." Yugi replied, "Not my death...mind you."

"I want to go home..." Misato muttered with her palms covering her face, "God...if you're out there..did I really screw up with Shinji that badly?"

_**"Yes."** _Yugi said in an overly dramatic voice while Misato broke down into tears, "Wow...I've never made someone do that before..."

"You caught while she was on the Bargaining Stage of Grief."

"So now she's in Depression Kaiba?"

"That she is."

"Want me to go out and save that Shinji kid?"

"How? By challenging the Grim Reaper to a Children's Cardgame?"

"No...by letting him die and then use Reborn the Monster." Yugi answered as Misato stopped crying and just looked upon the King of Games in utter disbelief, "I've done it before."

* * *

**District 49**

Big O slid backwards across the cityscape, it's arms raised to deflect a powerful Oral Maser Cannon fired from the mechanized lizard that terrorized this district.

After the cannon dissipated, Big O lowered it's arms and opened the cannons within them to unleash a hail of beams and bullets into the chest of the approaching 100 meter mechanical lizard. Dubbed as an expansive godzilla knock-off or Mecha-godzilla for short, the anomaly had already unleashed a vast arsenal that shouldn't belong to any single mecha.

Not to mention it's damned armor.

"Any ideas?" Roger Smith asked his partner after finishing his attack and using Big O's arm to block a rocket that the enemy had fired from it's barrel mounted flight pack. The explosion nearly knocked Big O off of it's feet while the slow creature marched towards it's opponent, using the drills in it's hands to carve through buildings on it's way, "Let me know if you do!"

Big O's eyes flashed as it charged for Mecha godzilla with a popped piston and delivered a powerful punch into it's belly before firing the piston back into place. The resultant shockwave knocked back the mecha, but failed to do any noteworthy damage. So Big O fired a series of chains into the tear that was lift in the wake of Big O's attack and used them as a lever to throw the mecha off balance and into the ground.

"Not the most gentlemen-like of tactics, but I'll take it." Roger decided while Big O opened up it's arm cannon and fired into the mecha's head, "Lets see how much punishment that armor can take!" To Roger's surprise, his attack had destroyed the machine's head and left only a small antennae in it's place.

"Guess that armor wasn't so tough after all-" Roger was cut off when a yellow beam fired from the antennae and burnt off a sizable portion of Big O's chest armor while the megadeus was thrown backwards before impacting the ground, "WHAT?" While Big O staggered to get up, Mecha Godzilla's thrusters activated to move it upright while it's armor began to pulse with energy. When it stood, the mecha's head was already starting to regenerate.

Oh yeah...Roger forgot about that.

"So it absorbs energy to power and regenerate itself? Damn..." Roger cursed as Big O stood on it's feet, "I can still damage him with physical attacks, but then I'd have to get close and I don't think I have enough to keep countering it's weapons..."

_"Giving up Negotiator?"_ Roger's face broke into a heavy sweat when he heard that voice. A voice that he knew and yet didn't have any memory of, _"Lying down like a beaten dog? Too afraid to seek for the truth behind the ghost within the vicious shell?"_

"Relax Roger...you're just hearing things..."

_"Is that so? So I am a delusion of your own mind?"_ The voice laughed as Roger growled and Big O evaded a series of missiles that were fired from Mechagodzilla's knees, _"Or perhaps I am a part of you? One that you forgot in your contentment and bliss? Surely you do not expect to survive without utilizing the duality of truth?"_

_"...while we are both seekers of truth in an ironic duology, our methods will inevitably clash."_

"Why am I thinking about that masked guy?" Roger asked, his focus breaking into more and more pieces as he fell under assault from this faceless speaker and the mechanized terror that had him on the ropes, "You're not the anomaly are you?"

_"How long will you divert your eyes from the truth? Negotiator?"_ Then...there he was. Roger's eyes widened in terrified shock from seeing the man who stood with arms folded over his chest. His head and features were heavily bandaged with dirty wrappings that only exposed a pair of estactic eyes and a psychotic and proud smile, _"Have you lived for so long that you can't even remember the roots of your identity? Roger?"_

"Sch...Schwartzbald?" Roger knew that name far too well...and he knew that the man that he was seeing was the one who bore that name...the one who'd found and piloted Big Duo at a time and place that Roger could not remember, "Couldn't...you have picked a better time?"

_"Truth respects no mortal...negotiator..."_ Even as Roger was paralyzed by the sight of this man from his past, he also see Mechagodzilla preparing to fire an oral maser cannon in Big O's direction, _"Or is my gift so utterly forgotten?"_

* * *

**District 46**

"Fall Fiend!" Despite Van's command, the Zilla that he faced refused to fall after Escaflowne's blade carved away at it's thick hide. The creature growled and used it's tail to swat Van into the air and send him crashing into the side of a nearby mountain, "Damn you..." Van tensed when he saw a large hole where the creature had previously been standing and immediately moved to get Escaflowne to it's feet.

As it jumped, the guymelef barely avoided the emerging Zilla with opened jaws ready to easily devour it's smaller opponent. Escaflowne took the challenge and stabbed it's sword through underside of the creature's mouth and out of the top of it's nose. The monster made a muffled roar as it tossed it's head to and fro to pry Van off of it. Escaflowne took this opportunity and pried out a skeletal spear from it's spine and stabbed it into the Zilla's neck.

"You are not the first dragon that I've slain!" Van boasted before finding it's footing and throwing the creature onto it's back. Escaflowne pulled out it's sword and brought it down into a two-handed cleave in an attempt to decapitate the monster. Though the ground lowered around the two combatants, the creature's underside proved just as resilient as the rest of it, "Damn!"

Just then, a pulse of energy burst out from the creature and threw Escaflowne back into the cityscape. It skid through the dirt and leapt back to avoid the atomic blast that the creature fired. The Zilla then made a mighty leap towards Escaflowne, it's menacing form smashed down a building before it turned to the ready Escaflowne and fired another beam.

Escaflowne pulled it's cloak over itself to protect from the blast, moving forward step by step despite the intensity of the blast. If he survived, then Van would be forever thankful to Hitomi's family for sending this resilient "Fabric of the East" which he then wove into Escaflowne's cape. Escaflowne remained intact, but the heat was building within Van's cockpit.

It was even hotter than dragon breath now.

"That's close enough." Van decided and had Escaflowne it's sword through the cloak. The beam dissipated to reveal Escaflowne's sword impaled into Zilla's jaw while it thunderously roared in protest. Seeing his chance, Van pulled out another spear and cast it into the depths of the creature's vast mouth. The creature grew silent and gargled before it fell to the side and into the debris that it had created.

"That...was a worthy challenge..." Van declared while he walked to the head of the fallen foe and pulled out his sword from it's bleeding mouth, "Now...time to report to the others...and see where I am...needed..."

_"Van!"_ Van heard Hitomi scream into his mind, _"Van! Watch out!"_

"Hitomi!" Van said back in agony from this unexpected intrusion into his mind, "I'm fine by the way! I just defeated the creature-"

_"It's not dead!"_ Hitomi warned while Van raised an eyebrow in confusion, _"Those creatures can regenerate their injuries! Your Zilla isn't dead!"_

"I just threw a spear down it's throat-" Van paused when Escaflowne slowly turned to see Zilla standing on it's legs, crunching on something while it's mouth continued to bleed, "Hitomi...I'll...call you back..."

_"It stood back up...didn't it?"_

"Yes...yes it did." Van answered as Zilla spat out the bloodied and chewed remains of Escaflowne's spear and immediately dived back into the ground, "This is no dragon...it's...a demon..."

* * *

**District 16**

The Berserk Furher roared before firing it's particle cannon at the incoming beam that Crystal Zilla had fired out it. The blasts impacted in between the distance between the two lizards and exploded in a mass of distorted gravity and energy particles that left the point of collision as charred as ground zero from an atomic bombing.

Behind the Fuhrer, Nirvash and Unit 03 fired a payload of ammo from their guns as they ran in opposite directions from each other to circle around and flank the Zilla on either side. Zilla used it's gravity powers to stop the attacks, either by holding the bullets and missiles in midair or by diverting them into the ground of the utterly ravaged District. Seeing an opening, Fuhrer fired another Charged cannon at the creature's chest and scored a direct hit that caused the monster to roar in pain and anger. Focused on the Fuhrer, Zilla didn't see Unit 03 clamp closed it's charged mouth until it was too late and caused it's own incomplete attack to detonate within it's skull. At the same time, Nirvash surfed by the creature and sliced off one of it's large crystal stubbings.

Unit 03 focused it's AT field to keep the wounded Zilla at bay while it reached for it's knife to stab the creature's windpipe. That was when a pulse of nuclear energy blasted back the evangelion and a tornado of spiraling distorted gravity emerged from around it. Unit 03, Fuhrer and Nirvash were all pulled into the tornado and were helpless as bolts of energy fired out of the Zilla's crystals at the same time that energy filled shards of crystal slashed through their hulls.

Content in it's retribution, the creature relented and dispelled it's tornado, allowing it's battered foes to smash into the ground while the Crystal Zilla's wounds finished healing.

"I thought that would work!"

"It's the same strategy that we tried before!"

"No it isn't! We didn't run straight at it this time!"

"Different direction! Same result!"

"It almost worked!"

"Almost isn't enough!"

"Guys..." Vega said to Aoi and Toji when he noticed Zilla start to levitate, "I don't think it's done."

"Picking up a rising energy build." Aoi reported as the three saw Crystal Zilla gather energy from it's crystals into a standing building that soon crystallized into a large deformed tower of crystal that shot of bolt of energy into the Zilla. The Zilla basked in the energy as it's left shoulder crystal regrew and the Zilla lifted itself out of the air, "Great...it can fly."

"Worse...I think that tower that it made gives it a boost." Toji figured as the three watched the creature fly over them as if it decided that they weren't worth it's attention, "HEY! Get back here!"

"Where is it going?" Vega asked while the three mecha stood on their feet and began to follow after the creature, "I think that it's heading towards the Command Center."

"Like hell it is!" Toji shouted while grabbing a fallen beam rifle and firing it at the zilla's back. The beam was deflected by space zilla's barrier as it stopped and turned back around, "Did I just make a mistake?"

"Maybe..." Aoi answered while the crystal zilla flew above the three and started raining bolts of energy onto them as it hovered, "Okay yes! Yes you did!"

"Spread out!" Vega warned as the three mecha did exactly that. While Nirvash, Eva and Fuhrer were able to roll away from the hovering creature, it formed its energy around itself to form a large crystal suit with which to expand it's protection and zeroed in on all three of it's foes with increased deadly accuracy, "Isn't there any back up around here?"

"Asking for hero? HERE'S KING KITTAN'S KILO!" A blazing yellow star bashed into Zilla's back and threw it into the ground. As the creature roared, the star slashed it's star-shaped daggers across zilla's back to destroy the crystals surrounding its scales. Landing on it's feet, King Kittan boldly smirked, "Hope that I'm not late..."

"Kittan!"

"Sup little bro?" Kittan asked Toji as the ground rose around Crystal Zilla while the creature rose to it's feet and flung it's empowered tail at King Kittan. King Kittan responded by rapidly spinning to cut through the tail as it passed and landed in front of the agonized Zilla with red blade on most of it's hull, "Ah! AH! I have to clean all of this up!"

"That's putting it mildly..." Vega pointed out as Crystal Zilla charged another beam within it's mouth, "I think you made it mad..."

"Let's make it madder!" A cute and young voice shouted as the enraged Zilla turned it's attention to a lion-mecha that stood on top of it's crystal tower, "We're not afraid of you mister..."

"I don't think he cares..." Aoi warned as Zilla fired a beam at the lion. Galeon hopped down to avoid the beam and then roared with enough sonic force to break the crystal apart and throw it's pieces into Crystal Zilla's knee. The Zilla roared as Galeon leapt onto it's shoulder and bit out a large chunk from it's neck and leapt to Kittan's side.

"Damn...that was hardcore..." Kittan whistled as Galeon spat out the piece of Zilla's flesh that it had chewed on, "I like you already Mamoru..."

"Thank you Kittan nii-chan!"

"Just Kittan! Sheesh!"

"I hope that your lion can do something other than bite?" Aoi asked as Zilla regenerated it's injuries, pointed a talon at it's enemies and then scratched the talon across it's neck, "It seems really pissed right now..."

"This idiot..cut...off...it's tail..." Vega pointed out as the regenerated Zilla promptly blasted King Kittan with quick burst of power that sent it flying back through the district, "See? Of course it's mad!"

"Kittan-sama! Are you alright?"

"I'll live..." Kittan answered in a daze as King Kittan appeared and kicked Unit 03 in it's shin, "Why didn't you block that last shot!"

"I thought that you had it!"

"Really?"

"Guys!" Aoi shouted as Nirvash brought it's shields together in front of it to divert another more powerful blast and was supplemented by Unit 03's AT Field, "Now would be a good time to counter it!"

"Sorry about that..." Vega apologized as Berserk Fuhrer fired a charged particle shot through the barrier and into the creature's stomach. At the same time, Kittan jabbed it's lance into the creature's neck while Galeon slashed out one of it's eyes before falling back.

"Nice one little bro! But you might wanna stop playing around!"

"Yes Kittan-sama..."

"Just Kittan!"

"Alright...GALLEEEONNN!" Mamoru suddenly leapt out of Galleon's cockpit and fell forward before being caught in Galeon's jaws. It's eyes glowed green as the lion formed into a humanoid gunman with a lion head on it's chest, "HUNTER GUNMAN! GGGAAAIIIGGGAAARRR!"

_"After Mamoru fuses with Galeon, they become the mighty hunter mecha Gaigar!"_

"Anyone else just hear someone say talk?" Kittan asked after Gaigar landed on the ground, "Just me? Everyone else is just gonna ignore it? Really?"

"Ignore what?"

"You didn't hear it too!" Kittan asked Mamoru, just as Crystal Zilla's roar threatened to bust open their eardrums, "Never mind, he's more important anyway."

"Right!" Mamoru agreed as Gaigar snapped it's fingers in the air, "GAOMACHINES!"

"What was that for?"

"I'm calling my friends." Mamoru answered Toji before the five allies narrowly dodged a shot from the recovering Crystal Zilla, "They'll be here as soon as they can though..."

"Emphasis on the word soon..."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

"Okay no."

"I'm not making this up man!" The worried guard shouted to his disbelieving co-worker, "Stop looking at me like I'm high!"

"Wouldn't be the first time." His fellow guard answered, "You expect me to believe that the bullet train, the B-2 Spirit Bomber, and the double-headed drill tank all spoke?"

"YES!" The guard yelled and pointed at the cargo in question, "Look at them! Do these look like ordinary ordinances?"

"Tauros was cleared and wanted them stored here." His partner replied while the guard just shook his head, "What's the problem?"

"I'm telling you man..." The guard stopped when he saw the parking lights on the vehicles flash on, "Why are they activating on their own?"

"I don't know, maybe they have pilots in them." His partner figured with a shrug when the hanger doors of the cargo depot opened, "Cleared for launch, I guess."

"There's no one else in here..." The guard muttered while the Spirit Bomber took off out of the opened hanger doors, "You're not bothered by this?"

"Hey, I've been on the job for a bit longer than you." His partner said as the Drill Tank rolled out, "Around here, machines that move on their own aren't very uncommon."

* * *

**District 42**

Honestly, this was not one of the better sorties of the Blitz Team.

To their credit, the four zoids were holding up better against the 90 meter tall monster than the DF platoon whose remains were scattered throughout the devastated district.

But...things could be better, at least from where Brad was sitting.

"Go for the eyes!"

"I'm trying!" Leena shouted while her Gunsniper unloaded it's ammo into the head of Zilla while Liger clawed away at the under side of it's jaw with it's strike laser claws, "Brad? You up yet?"

"Do I look like I'll be up anytime soon?" Brad called from his Shadow Fox which remained trapped beneath Zilla's foot, "Why isn't it moving!"

"I'm making him move! Just hold on!" Bit shouted while Liger climbed along the side of Zilla's head and bit into it's skull. The creature roared, allowing Leena to fire into it's mouth while it stumbled backwards in pain and whipped it's tail in an attempt to hit Bit. Instead, Liger dodged the attack and the creature struck itself hard upon the jaw, dislocating it entirely, "Okay...I'm happy."

"Glad to know." Bit said while Liger landed on top of a building and Leena's gunsniper opened fire upon the monster's dislocated jaw, "Keep the pressure up! Don't let that thing regenerate!"

"One Tauros Special coming up!" Leena declared while the gunsniper's larger cannons fired a series of missiles at the ailing creature. Just before they impacted, each round broke apart into a field of mines that opened up into smaller mines that sprinkled over the Zilla's hide and exploded, "Think that'll do it?"

"Just in case it isn't...Jamie? Up for another air strike?"

"Coming in!" The Wild Eagle said as the Raynos blazed over the area and dropped a scattered pack of Spread Proton Bombs that leveled much of the area where the Zilla had fallen, "Anything?"

"Picking up readings now." Brad said as a large tail swung in the Shadow Fox's direction, forcing it to quickly jump to the side as the tail impacted into the city street, "That was a close one-" Brad was cut off when the Shadow Fox was blown into debris by a surge of energy that fired out from the tail.

"Brad? Brad!" Bit called and heard no response, though Brad's heart monitor remained stable, "Leena...we may need to fall back."

"How can this guy take so much damage?" Leena asked after watching Zilla regenerate it's ravaged head. Shaking off damage that would've left a Genobreaker moderately damaged and turning towards the remaining zoids as if looking for more, "So carving out the throat and hitting the skull won't work."

"Just like hitting it's chest...cutting off the leg...or slicing the spine..." Bit read off, recounting the strategies that had so far failed to even dent this creature's fortitude, "So it's regeneration isn't a biological feature...at least not one that relies on the body alone."

"English Bit?"

"The same energy that it's using to attack us with is probably also fueling it's regeneration." Bit repeated to the team, "The only way that we can get through that regeneration ability is to exhaust it's energy until it can't heal anymore."

"How exactly are we going to do that when we've already hit it with everything that we've got?"

"Not everything...not yet..." Bit said in a serious tone and then switched to a private comm with Leena and Brad, "Listen guys...I'll go it alone from here. I've got a trump that'll exhaust it, but I can't use it with you guys still here."

"What are you talking about Bit?" Brad asked while Liger gave off a low despondent growl, "That? Doesn't that drain your-"

"It's the only thing that'll exhaust this monster." Bit replied as Zilla boldly waited in place for it's opponent's next move, "I'll give you guys a signal...when that signal comes...you hit that thing with everything that you've got! I promise that when I'm done...it won't have the energy to stop you."

"What about you?"

"I'm not dying today Leena..." Bit assured his teammate as Liger's eyes began to change it's glow from green to a sinister blue, "This won't take long..."

* * *

**Back to D. 16**

"What happened to those friends that you called?"

"They should be here soon..."

"How soon is soon?"

"Uh..." Mamoru thought to himself, "I don't know..."

"Least you're honest." Aoi scoffed as Nirvash surfed above another gravity beam and rode the distorted gravity, "Any plans guys?"

"Survive seems simple enough."

"You and me both!" Toji said in agreement with Vega as Unit 03's AT field barely held back a gravity beam that knocked the eva into the air and then violently threw it into the ground, "I hate science..."

"Why?"

"CAUSE SIR. ISAAC NEWTON IS WORKING AGAINST ME!" Toji roared along with Unit 03 while it focused it's AT field around Vega's cannon and scored a direct hit that severed the creature's arm, "BOO YA!"

"My turn kids!" Kittan shouted while King Kittan raised it's lance and fired a beam of yellow spiral energy that King Kittan controlled and used to slash off the Zilla's leg. The Zilla in increasing anger as a great pulse of energy flew across the district and levitated everything within into the air. It's enemies rose and then were thrown into the ground as crystals appeared from Zilla's body that grabbed it's leg and reattached it to it's thigh. While the leg recovered, Crystal Zilla rose into the air and fired a short burst of energy at each of it's staggered foes.

"Cheap bastard!" Kittan shouted as he managed to stand just before the Zilla's attack knocked King Kittan onto it's back, "Fight us like a man!"

"It's not human though..."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"There they are!" Gaigar pointed to the side with Crystal Zilla looking in that direction, giving Aoi an opportunity to unleash a wind gale that knocked the creature out of the sky and into the direction of Vega's AT Field guided Charged particle beam. While the Zilla was thrown across the district, three color coordinated machines came closer to Gaigar, "Thanks for coming...my friends!"

"Those are your friends?" Aoi asked in disappointment, "How exactly are they going to help us-"

"FINAL FUSION!"

GaiGar created a tornado of electromagnetic fog that the three GaoMachines penetrated and flew into. On the outside, the large reptile fired a gravity distortion beam that was reflected into a nearby district. Within the barrier, DrillGao formed around Gaigar's lower legs, feet and knees. Gaigar then pulled back it's arms and allowed LinerGao to fly into the slot and formed into shoulders as Galeon's lion head formed over the chest. Lastly, StealthGao flew up onto Gaigar's back forming into a back wing section as its engines joined with the upper arm that formed out of LinerGao and became lower arms with their own clawed hands and finally, a black helmet slid onto Gaigar's head to complete it's transformation.

_Finally, the hero we have been waiting for has come..._

_His name is the King of Braves..._

"GAOGAIGAR!" Mamoru declared as the tornado dissipated and revealed the mecha warrior.

"I'll shut up now." Aoi decided as the five prepared to stand against the recovering Crystal Zilla.

* * *

**Command Center**

"That kid...is so...sued!"

"You sure it's not the other way around, Mokuba?"

"Someone might have to read it back to me Kiyal."

* * *

**District 15**

"Anything yet?"

"Still searching commander." Heero heard the recon tracker report to the Defense Force Commander, "This guys more slippery than that fish that slapped Michael."

"It was a big fish alright!"

"Cut the chatter and keep looking!" Shiro shouted while Heero continued to run the calculations through Gundam Wing's systems, "Heero? Anything on your end?"

"Nothing..." Heero replied calmly while his mind erratically searched for information. The anomaly didn't choose the water-logged district 15 because it was sight-seeing, it knew that it was the best place to engage targets. Ever since the Kraken event, much of the water that the anamoly had brought with it was diverted into the largely empty district 15, leaving 70% of the area comprising of water with the rest being city areas connected by bridges.

Initially, Heero and the other DF mobile suits had engaged the enemy and managed to drive it away from it's attack. But now it was apparently hiding either under ground or in the water. The only way to find it would be through the sensory capabilities of a UC 79 T-74 Hover Tracker Truck. While the rest of the members scattered in search of the creature.

"North Side is clear." Judau reported from his ZZ Gundam while Heero felt Zero prod him, "Lieutenant Commander? What about your end?"

"It's just Kamille...I haven't been gone for that long." The Londo Bell Guest replied from his Zeta Gundam while Gundam Wing landed next to a scanning Ez-08, "Kou? Hows the sky of the east side?"

"Smoky, dusty and I haven't found shit..." Kou reported back, "Shiro! It probably just retreated! We need to head to the other districts and help out the others-"

"Not yet Kou...not until I'm sure that this thing won't show up and bite us in our asses." Shiro stated, "Heero? I really hope that you're done with those calculations."

"Tell your tracker team to vacate their vehicle." Heero replied while he aimed his beam rifle towards the edge of the Northern city-section, "It's coming for the tracker."

"What? Why would it be over there?" Heero charged his beam rifle while he heard Shiro gasp in shock, "You're crazy! Eleanor! Michael! Get out of there now!"

"We just picked up a huge spike!" Michael replied back while Heero continued to aim despite knowing that Shiro was about to attack him for threatening his men, "It's coming towards the northern section!"

"I said get out of there!" Shiro yelled as Heero locked onto his target, "GET OUT NOW! HEERO'S ABOUT TO SHOOT YOU!"

"BAIL!" Eleanor and Michael shouted as Gundam Wing opened fire, unleashing a beam of pure energy that soared towards the tracker truck, grazed it's rear and pierced a hole in the anomaly as it rose from the ground. The tracker truck sped away while Zilla jumped out of the hole in the ground and leapt into the ocean, "Commander! Did you see that!"

"We all did! Get clear! We'll take it from here!" Shiro shouted back, "Heero...I don't know how you do things...but while you're working with my men...you won't put them at risk like that again!"

"The probability of their deaths were less than 10%." Heero replied while his Gundam sped into the air towards the Zilla's direction, "My energy will likely lie in conflict with the energy that it stores in it's body, which will increase it's body temperature. Switch to infer-red sensors and you'll be able to find it."

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"It was using it's energy to cloak itself before." Heero answered as he fired a beam into the water, "It's quick...do we have any weapons that create a noticible electrical discharge?"

"I have an experimental grappling shocker in my shield," Judau replied, "Want me to give that a shot?"

"Why did you put that in your shield?"

"You never know Kamille...it helps to be prepared." Judau replied to his comrade, "So...hit the water and shoot at the anomaly when it comes up?"

"Not yet." Heero stated when one of the city portions started to shake, "You'll know when..."

* * *

**District 13**

"Having fun Simon?"

"Bro..." Simon exhaled as Gurren Lagann jumped from building to building to avoid the missiles that their adversary was firing at them, "I thought that we don't have fun until after we're winning?"

"But we are winning!"

"We haven't landed a single blow to it."

"What's the matter with you Simon?" Kamina asked as Gurren Lagann kicked one of the missiles back at the mechanized lizard that they fought against, "Stop mopping and start flexing your manly awesomeness!"

"Alright..." Simon agreed as Gurren Lagann went on the defensive, forming it's arms into drills as it dodged Mecha-godzilla's maser cannon and impacted it's arms into the creature's belly, "Two for two!"

"How about four for four!" Kamina stated as Gurren Lagann's legs formed into drills that struck right under where the arms had previously hit and threw the mecha across the district before landing on it's reformed feet, "Great work Simon! This oversized toy is no match for the Leaders of the Gurren Brigade!"

"Dai-Gurren Brigade-"

"SHUT UP!" Simon grew pale when mecha godzilla shouted and rose to it's feet, it's hull glowing with a familiar radiant energy while the holes in it's stomach regenerated, "SHUT UP! WHY DO YOU HUMANS ALWAYS HAVE TO TALK!"

"It talks?" Kamina figured with mild surprise, "What do ya got against me talking buddy?"

"IF YOU WANT TO TALK THAT'S ON YOU! BUT YOU HUMANS NEVER SHUT UP!" Mechagodzilla shouted before firing a spiraling beam of energy that swept away Gurren Lagann before it could react and threw it into the ground, "EVER SINCE YOU BUILT ME...I'VE HAD TO PUT UP WITH YOUR BLABBERING MOUTHS! ALL THAT COMES OUT OF THEM ARE NOISE..."

"Bro..." Simon's discomfort grew as the mechanized lizard formed it's hands into rapidly spinning drills that seemed to be channeling the same energy from before, "Ah...I think that it absorbed our spiral energy from when we hit it..."

"Simon! Stop doubting yourself and kick this thing's ass!" Kamina confidently encouraged while Gurren Lagann launched forward and formed a drill of it's own to clash against the machine's, "Your drills aren't a match for our manly drills-"

"NOISE..." Simon's eyes widened as Mechagodzilla split apart Gurren Lagann's drill and elbowed the gunman in it's mouth before firing a missile that threw Gurren Lagann into the air before exploding.

"Bro! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Simon..." Kamina replied confidently despite the horrifying sound of coughing blood, "That monkey guy did better with a smaller weapon!"

"NOISE!" Mechagodzilla's flight pack expanded as it flew into the air and transformed it's rocket launchers into oversized triple barreled cannons that fired a series of spiraling beams at Gurren Lagann while it dove into the cityscape and maneuvered to survive.

"Simon...are you alright?"

"We can't beat it...we can't beat it..." Simon said to himself, realizing that the mecha had absorbed his spiral energy and had just used it to hurt Kamina and was now going to use it against him, "We have to run...have to escape..."

"Simon! Calm down! Believe in yourself!"

"I'M GOING TO RIP OUT YOUR TONGUES! THEN I WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE NOISE!" Mechagodzilla boomed as a pulse of energy erupted from it and expanded out to scorch the entire district while Gurren Lagann drilled into the ground to avoid the attack, "THE NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!"

"Bro...Aniki..." Simon muttered to himself within the darkness of the underground, "We need the others...we can't fight it on our own..."

"What kind of talk is this?" Kamina assuredly asked his little brother, "So what if that thing can absorb your power...that doesn't mean that your power is automatically his power-" Kamina was cut off when he coughed again.

"Kamina?" Simon asked while Kamina continued to cough something up that splashed into his cockpit, "It's all my fault...it's all my fault..."

* * *

**Tranquility**

"Shinji?" Shinji rose up from a couch, confused about his surroundings, "Shinji! You dozed off for a moment!"

"Hikari?" He looked and saw the freckled girl smiling upon him. She walked over and passionately kissed him as Shinji felt his own hands grab her strangely bare thighs, "Don't be shy..."

"Ah..." Overwhelmed, He broke the kiss and backed away from Hikari. Unaffected, she just smiled while Shinji gawked at the thin skimpy kitchen apron that she wore within nothing else underneath, "This...wow...you...look good in that..."

"Glad that you like it." Hikari stretched her arms above her head while Shinji's face reddened more and more, "Why are you so embarrassed? You gave it to me."

"I did..." Shinji had vaguely thought about it, but he couldn't even recall actually being willing to do it. Something inside of him told him to run with this and accept it, "How do you like it?"

"It's so free and...I feel a little hot in it." Hikari sauntered towards Shinji and rested on his neck, allowing her chest to press against his own, "Are you happy Shinji?"

"What kind of question is that?" Shinji felt his hands subconsciously grip under Hikari's appron while she giggled and purred from his touch, "I couldn't...think of anything else that would make me happier."

"What about her?"

"Her?" Shinji now saw that Hikari was more tame though she still smiled, "Who?"

"Someone who you've been missing for your whole life." Hikari said as Shinji started to feel uneasy about this entire situation, "Someone who you missed so much...that you cut yourself off from remembering her to escape your pain."

"To...to run away..." Shinji finished while his breath quickened and Hikari embraced him, "Where is she?"

"You don't have to be afraid." Shinji heard Hikari whisper in his ear, "Just close your eyes and look to your left."

"Okay..." Shinji agreed, eyes closing as he turned to his left and heard the sound of a piano playing. The piano spoke within Shinji's mind, awakening a tune that he hadn't heard since he was four years old... "It...it can't be..."

"Shinja!" Shinji opened his eyes and saw a little two year old girl with bright eyes wave at Shinji while she clumsily, but happily played on the piano, "Shinja! Shinja!"

"Who are-" Instead of finishing his question, Shinji walked over to the girl with Hikari holding his shoulders and sat down next to the girl. The girl giddily jumped up and down as Shinji smiled and instinctively followed with the girl's song. He entered his keys slowly, not wishing to disrupt the erratic and rapid pace of the girl's song. His keys were intended to add substantive background to the girl's high energy forefront, act as a bridge to keep some otherwise disjointed notes connected within the girl's music.

As they played, their pace and flow soon joined with one another. The girl's pace slowed to a more balanced medley while Shinji's was encouraged to increase his pace without fear of destroying the harmony of the song. The song now sounded the exact same as it did when he was four years old. A triumphant and uplifting music that brought out one's hope for humanity and for their bonds with the people that they cared about. Now Shinji was remembering why he didn't want to remember this song, because there was no bond for him to celebrate.

Things were different now, the melody of the song assured and reminded him of this as he and the girl continued to play. While he was better with the violin than he was with the piano, this felt more natural and harmonious to him especially now that this girl was playing alongside him. The song was playing in his mind like a fire that he had long kept unsparked. The song filled him with fire and told him to live because he was not alone. He had Hikari, Roger, Van, Bit, Heero, Kaiba, Nia and many others whom he cared about and whom cared about him as well.

Just like his sister did.

"That was really good-" The name of his own sister slipped from his tongue when the girl jumped into his arms and tightly embraced him, "Hey! How's my little sister? I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long..."

"You really missed her didn't you?"

"I knew father was lying..." Shinji answered Hikari while he held this child, "He said that you were dead..."

"Shinja wake up!" The girl weakly wacked her hands onto Shinji's head while he watched her features turn from happy to terrified, "Wake up Shinja!"

"Wake up?"

"You need to wake up Shinji." Hikari told him as he set down his sister and stood to face a now saddened Hikari, "Do you really think that I'd wear something this skimpy?"

"Eh...I plead the fifth..."

"You're a naughty boy aren't you Shinji?" Hikari giggled along with Shinji's sister, "But...you really do need to wake up."

"Why should I?" Shinji glanced up and down Hikari and looked over to his shaking sister, "I'm kind of enjoying this dream-"

"Otherwise you'll bleed to death." Shinji gasped and looked back at his sister who was now very tearful as the entire room began to shake, "And here comes the kick."

"The what-" Shinji heard a thud hit the ground and realized that his arm had fallen off and that red scarlet blood was spurted from his chest like a dam that was ready to break, "Blood...blood.."

And then the dam broke.

* * *

**District 6**

"Ah...my head...blood...blood?" Shinji asked himself while saw the blood on his own hands and the blood that was staining the wall of his cockpit even within the LCL, "Is this...blood? Why am I bleeding?"

"Oh yeah...I'm in the middle of a battle." Shinji remembered and absently hit the console, "AND THIS FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT JUST RAN OUT OF POWER!"

"Major Ikari! Are you there! Major!" Shinji spat out more blood as he heard his comm continue to ring with incoming calls, "Major Ikari! This is Lieutenant Marsolo! We're currently engaging the anamoly and there are several civilians in need of extraction! We can't patch through to HQ!"

"Hold...on..." Shinji practically felt his arm shatter with each movement towards the comm, "This...this is Major Ikari...I...I read you..."

"Major Ikari? I read you but your signal is weak!" The lieutenant frantically replied before a loud and thunderous roar echoed through the channel, "Oh god! It's eating us! The sick son of a bitch is eating us! Just like it ate Noriko!"

"Noriko?" Shinji's eyes widened despite the pace of his increasing breath. The comm cut off as Shinji tried to reach anyone who was out there, "Lieutenant Marsolo! Lieutenant!...Shit...Simon? Roger? Heero? Van? Bit? Shiro? Is anyone else out there?"

"Jamie! Leena! Get Brad out of here and head back to the pad!"

"Fight on my friends! Know that even in death, the spirit of Fanelia's king shall remain with you!"

"When you die, your spirit will ascend and leave us. Therefore, your mission should be to live."

"Who died and made you king Heero?"

"That'll be you if you don't stay alive."

"I will not accept these terms for my death! This aggressive negotiation will have to continue!"

"Why did it have to hit that scar from Thymilph? I think that I'm sitting in my own manly blood right now..."

"Where are you Aniki? Help me...help me Aniki..."

"Shinji...please god...someone help us...help these children please!"

"Everyone...everyone's in trouble...there all dying..." Shinji's breathing quickened as more blood gushed from his very real gash in his chest and sternum, "I'm...I'm...dying...but...they...need me..."

His breathing ceased.

LCL flowed into his throat while his eyes remained open. The viewscreen for Unit 01 activated and revealed the Zilla that had evisgorated Eva. It's teeth were stained with oil and blood while it crushed a lone gm under it's massive foot and lazzily watched a remaining damaged jeagan fire it's rounds into Zilla's unaffected hide.

"Major Ikari! Mr. Kaiba! Commader Amada! Someone! Anyone! Please!" Marsolo screamed loudly as Zilla bent down it's jaws and devoured the jeagan in a single bite and mercilessly crunched on the machine as Marsolo's screams were muffled by flesh being pierced and minced along with metal, "Please...no...I don't...help me..." Shinji couldn't react when he heard Marsolo's body get crushed within her own decimated mobile suit. He watched with an ever fading vision as Zilla swallowed it's prey and roared in victory.

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"Sir! Major Ikari's heart beat just flat lined-"

"No shit. It's not like I didn't just hear it." Seto muttered as the sound of death continued to beep through the Command Center, "Well...this is somehow your fault Yugi."

"Gee...I'm so shocked."

"Because everytime you show up in my life, something always goes wrong."

"You're welcome for saving your ass from the virtual world twice."

"SHUT UP!" Misato roared in the Command Center, "DON'T YOU HAVE A BACK UP PLAN?"

"I'm sorry...did someone else hear something just now?" Seto shrugged while Misato resisted the urge to draw her pistol, just before she snapped, Mokuba's face appeared on the screen, "Mokuba...Shinji's heart just failed."

"WHAT?" Kiyal cried from behind Mokuba, "Mokuba! Use that Lazerus Initiative thing that you were working on!"

"Eh...that's nowhere near stable or even 20% done-"

"DO IT!" Misato commanded, "Just because his heart isn't working that doesn't mean that he's dead! If you hurry and do this Lazerus thing then you'll have a chance to save him!"

"You didn't happen to have installed it did you?"

"A prototype...but it won't heal him-"

"It'll due." Kaiba stated to his little brother, "Activate it will you?"

"BUT SHE WON'T LET ME!"

"She?" Misato asked in confusion as Seto just grumbled, "Whose she?"

"Don't tell that you don't know Colonel!"

"I don't know damn it! Why does everyone think that everything is my fault?"

"Burden of leadership..." Maya muttered while typing on her computer, "Mokuba! I've opened a patch to Anima's armor! If you can activate it's contingency surge then you can redirect it to Anima's pilot capsule and activate the lazerus initiative?"

"What about Anima's condition?"

"It can be fixed, if Shinji's dead then we're short of a ranger." Kaiba stated, "If we're careful then we can get Anima back to the Command Center before that lizard figures out that his prey isn't all-the way dead. Anima will probably need an escort...preferably one with ridiculously pointy hair."

"Fine...I guess I'll go help him..." Yugi reluctantly agreed "If you wanted me out of the command center Kaiba...then you should've just asked."

"I'll go too-"

"No...I think you're best here." Kaiba said to the disbelieving Misato, "I need someone whose competent in strategy to help me in this command center. Not that I couldn't do it myself, but I'm extremely rich and wouldn't bother to put energy into it."

"Big mistake Kaiba! How could she plan for a counterattack when she can't even play a card game?" Yugi mockingly asked while Kaiba did his best tune out his and Deathwing's laughter, "Besides Misato, you need a chance for redemption."

"You too?"

"Pharaoh may be an ass sometimes, but at least he doesn't guilt trip his friends."

"Except when it's me."

"Shut up Kaiba!"

"Seto! I'm about to activate Lazerus-"

"Shut up and do it Mokuba!"

"I think I'm receiving a signal from my-"

"Shut up Optimus!"

"This whole operation is ludicrous! Just throw a nuclear bomb at-"

"Shut up Rossiu!"

"As a Federation cadet, I cannot stand for your-"

"Shut up Wesley!"

"How did you get in here?"

"Shut up Kiyal!" Wesley was then promptly slugged in the face by Mokuba and knocked out by a slap from Kiyal.

* * *

**A Train**

His heart loudly beat.

His vision flashed to white and then to normal. Shinji was no longer sitting in the cockpit of Eva Unit 01, but within a train. There was no one in that train except for himself and a little boy who sat across from him.

The same boy from before.

"Well you made a mess of things...didn't you?"

"The hell?" Shinji asked while the boy widely stared at him with that same smile, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone is going to die...just like you died."

"I'm not dead."

"Yes you are..." The boy replied, "You died because you wouldn't except things...you tried to be in control and everything went to hell."

"It wasn't my fault-"

"You acted and therefore it is your fault." Shinji felt his breath quicken under the 1,000 yard stare of this child, "Now you are dead and everyone will die because you failed."

"But if I'd done nothing..."

"They would've died." The boy laughed while Shinji growled, "You see? Why keep going when everything that you could do will lead to suffering and sorrow? If you don't act then the many will suffer...and if you do act then you will suffer and your suffering will afflict the many. It is inevitable Shinji...the sooner you accept it, the better off that you will be when your soul passes on."

"If I'm dead...then where am I?"

"You're on a train, silly." The boy pointed, "Bless your soul...did you really think that you were in control? Control of your life? Control of your fate? Your life is like this train...if you stay on it...then you will go where you do not want to go. But if you leave it...then you will fall and die."

"What did you think was going to happen?" The boy prodded as the lights within the train started to turn out section by section, "Do you still believe that your existence has some benefit for something or someone? Do you believe that you have something to fight for? That you possess a purpose that warrants your existence? That your decisions can make a difference? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know?"

"Stop the train..."

"Stop the train? Why bother?" The boy asked as the lights went out on the section of the train that he and Shinji were sitting, "It doesn't matter. Every step that you take is a road to destruction...rather for yourself or for others-"

"Stop the train." Shinji growled, his eyes now as gleamed with glowing scarlet as the train started to grind to an awkward halt, "I'm leaving."

"It won't matter-"

"It's my decision! AND I'M NOT LETTING THEM DIE!"

* * *

**Command Center**

"Sir!"

"Yes..." Seto asked when the Command Center blarred with the echoes of a raging monitor, "And what is that sound?"

"Major Ikari's heart rate! It's...starting and again...rapidly increasing in pace..."

"Mokuba..."

"It isn't me!" Mokuba reported, "Lazerus failed to launch because of a console error...whatever's happening there..."

"Berserk..." Seto heard Misato say to herself, "What's the synch ratio between Anima and Shinji?"

"Anima doesn't have any power so it's less than..." One technician said before he reviewed his monitor, "210% and climbing."

"Sit back then..." Misato suggested to the command crew, "You're about to see a real monster at play."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Time to get back on track.**

**Life's been hectic for a while and I had to take inventory on a lot of stuff. Jobs...finances...emotional stuff...and life throwing curb-balls that you have to roll with.**

**I'll be brief and say that Thaeonblade is officially back in business.**

**Another reason why this chapter took so long was because I was researching the base abilities of the godzilla variations that the rangers are facing right now and how exactly the rangers would be faring against them. In short, any of these creatures would be a challenge for all of the rangers put together so I wondered how it would be if they were by themselves.**

**You can clearly see the results for yourself.**

**Can the rangers pull through and survive to see another day? Stay tuned to find out.**

**Later.**


	22. Roar III

**Bridge of the SS Radion**

"Noriko?" The girl opened her eyes and found herself sitting in a chair with an officer's jacket covering her as a makeshift blanket, "Noriko...come here girl!"

"Papa?" Noriko asked, recognizing the voice as she stood up from the chair and recognized the inside of the bridge where she stood, "It can't be...any remaining Dogosse Giar-class vessels were decommissioned or destroyed by now..."

"How many times do I have to tell you? This is not a Dogosse Giar, it's the Radion-" Admiral Yuzo Takaya stopped and lightly smiled while Noriko felt tears well up in her eyes, "Norko..."

"I'm...I'm not...I'm not..." As if understanding, the admiral wordlessly embraced his daughter as Noriko tightly gripped her father and cried into his chest, "PAPA! PAPA! I...I MISSED YOU SO MUCCCHHH!"

"I know...I left you alone...didn't I Noriko?" Noriko nodded her head as Takaya deeply inhaled, "I'm sorry..."

"Papa...you had to do it though..." Noriko managed as she calmed down and tried to put on a brave face for her father, "If...if you hadn't...then all of those people...would've have died..."

"That doesn't mean that you'd want someone else to do it."

"Papa-"

"Don't lie Noriko...it is alright to be emotional..." Noriko knew with every fiber of her being that her father's decision was the best one that could've been made in that situation. It was his life against the lives of 80,000 servicemen and 8 million civilians and he choose to sacrifice himself to save them, "You probably wish that someone else had done it in my shoes...don't you?"

"Yes...I'm so horrible..." Noriko muttered to herself, remembering her father's funeral where an injured pilot with blue hair tried to tell her that her father was a brave man. She was only 7 at the time...selfish and in grief...she yelled at the pilot and told him that she wished that he had died instead of her father, "Can you forgive me?"

"You should probably ask that guy who you bailed out..." Yuzo stated with a generous smile, "He is still alive right?"

"Yes..."

"Then you can apologize to him!"

"But I'm dead..."

"What? Where did that idea come into your head child?" Yuzo asked while Noriko stared at the floor, "Is it because you are freely interacting with your dead father within the strangely empty bridge of a starship that was confirmed to have been reduced to molecular debris by the discharge of it's own self-destruction and the subsequent nova that resulted from the combination of the Minovsky-Ionesco Fusion Reactor's destabilized energy clashing with the unknown high-grade energy of whatever it was that I died fighting?"

"You don't know what killed you?"

"Of course not child because you don't know!" Noriko's eyebrow raised in confusion as Yuzo laughed and grabbed his daughter's shoulders, "This is all in your head!"

"Really?"

"You should wake up now..."

* * *

**District 6 Sentry Post**

"Look...I know that you're Major Ikari's girlfriend, but I really don't think that you should be here."

"You're completely right, I really shouldn't be here." Hikari admitted to the DF sentry officer while they sat behind a damaged barrier and watched as the ravaging Zilla decimated the remnant of a Jegan platoon that had been sent to support the quiet Unit 01, "But I just have this feeling that Shinji is going to need me...so I'm staying here until I'm proven completely wrong."

"No skin off my bones, not like I can stop you anyway." The sentry responded while pointing out the bloodied bandages on his arm and leg, "Thanks by the way."

"I wasn't going to just let you bleed out, what kind of person would that make me?"

"What if I told you that I was a Britannian hitman?" The sentry asked as Hikari's expression darkened and she looked towards the battle that was getting closer to them, "Lost a family member to the empire?"

"Two..."

"Sorry..."

"Were you in Korea at anytime in 2010?"

"I left in 2009."

"Then I don't hate you..." Hikari stated as she exhaled and was pushed off of her feet when a jegan was thrown next to the battlement, "Sir...I know that I should've listened to you."

"Probably..." The sentry noted as Zilla violently landed on the jegan and caused it to break into multiple pieces, "If I die...I guess it'll be the best death ever."

"Why?"

"Who wouldn't want be eaten by godzilla?"

"IT'S NOT GODZILLA!" The pilot of the down jegan managed before he was crushed into the stability of punch by the stomp of the impatient and bored zilla.

"I feel like the differences between this guy and the real thing are minimal at best." The sentry stated while she and Hikari moved to the closed hatch on the floor, "You watch a lot of giant monster movies, lass?"

"I've lived in one for the past several months, why would I-" The beast howled again after the two heard suppressed gunfire, but it was a cry of pain rather a cry of victory, "I think that we just got a break!"

"Enjoy it then..." The sentry stated as he leaned against the wall and took out a cigarette that he threw away, "Why did I have that anyway?"

"We need to jump!" Hikari warned as the beast began to stumble towards them with gun fire searing out of it's stomach as it wildly fired it's atomic ray across the area, "Now!"

"I'm gonna need a job on my leg after this!" The sentry groaned as he grabbed Hikari just before she jumped and grabbed a hold of a nearby ledge just as the beast crashed into the ground next to the barrier with the barrel of a rifle poking out of a burnt hole in it's hide, "Do. Not. Move."

"Yes sir..." Hikari agreed while the sentry carefully climbed along the ledge while zilla violently screamed from it's apparent intestinal problems. Once the sentry made it to the other side and motioned for Hikari to climb up, Hikari followed instructions and then helped the sentry up as well, "Now what?"

"Now we watch the show from the side rather than the middle of it." The sentry said tiredly as he opened the door to an emergency control room, "Use those computers to see what's going on if you want to keep on eye on the major. I'll radio HQ."

"Alright..."

* * *

**Devasted District 6**

Finally feed up with the pain that was caused from the assault from within it's body, the zilla leapt into the air and landed on it's stomach. It roared in greater pain even as a jegan was vomited from it's mouth. The beast breathed more easily as it rose onto it's feet while the jegan only managed to roll onto it's back and fire two shots from it's partially melted rifle. One of the shots harmlessly bounced off of Zilla's neck while the other hit the blast hole in it's stomach and caused it a great amount of pain.

Enraged, Zilla kicked the Jegan onto a nearby building and leapt up to crash it's talons into the jegan's torso. In satisfaction, the Zilla was caught off guard when the blade of a beam saber slashed through it's stomach wound yet again while the Jegan used all of it's strength to stab through the creature. Further enraged by the resistance of this damaged machine, the Zilla emitted a deadly pulse of nuclear energy that circulated through the mobile suit and caused it to lose strength as it's power was disrupted by the Zilla's greater power output.

When the jegan fell lifelessly to the ground, the Zilla prepared to stomped it's foot onto it's foe just it felt something grab onto it's tail. Knocked off balance, the surprised Zilla could only roar as it was pulled towards a before silent foe and was impaled in it's neck by a sharp pointed horn.

While struggling against the horn that impaled it's neck, the creature heard an inhuman growl from it's captor. It racked it's foot across the foe's chest just before it punched the creature's tender stomach and then kicked it off of it's horn and sent the Zilla flying across the district.

Giving out a low roar, Evangelion's chest glowed with an orange-red power as it stood upon it's feet with steam rising from it's healing tears and injuries. It bared it's opened jaws and grabbed the stump where it's right arm used to be. Zilla's blood evaporated off of Eva's horn and formed onto the stump where it reacted with an outgrowth of energy to form a pale peach arm from the stump. It then roared thunderously through the district as Zilla roared in reply and accepted the challenge.

The Heir of Beasts fired an Atomic Ray from it's jaws that was easily deflected by the barrier that formed in front of Eva. Eva placed it's palm upon the barrier as the attack faded away and gathered remnant energy particles at the point of the barrier where it's palm was. A single orb of scarlet formed there before it broke apart and Zilla enveloped in a beam of red and black energy that spiraling around the creature while it roared in pain. The beast gave off a pulse of nuclear energy to dissipate the beam as it charged and jumped towards Eva.

The beast landed upon Eva's barrier and fired another ray at point blank range. Eva focused it's barrier to entrap Zilla within a cube-shaped cage where it was assaulted by it's own power while Eva watched the cube float upwards despite the laws of gravity. It brought out it's pale arm and formed a spear of orange-blue energy with a helix blade. Anima threw the spear up into the cube where it stuck into it's walls while Zilla crashed it's body against the cube's walls to escape. The creature roared in protest while energy was diverted to the spear's point and began to pulse out towards the zilla before the cube broke and the creature fell towards the ground.

Watching with delight, Eva's eyes glowed with radiant power before they emitted a pair of beams that seared into Zilla's hide and lifted the creature back into the sky. Using it's own sight to guide it's power, Eva proceeded to spin Zilla in a circle above the District before releasing the beams and allowing Zilla to fall upon the sharp point of a building that it had previously destroyed.

* * *

**Command Center**

"Part of me is almost sorry for the lizard..." Maya admitted with a tissue covering her mouth as the Zilla of District 6 desperately wrenched itself from where it had fallen only to be blasted down by power that emanated from Eva Anima, "This is bad..."

"Really? I know that I'm not the nicest guy buy-" Kaiba stopped himself when he saw a monitor with a percentile graph begin to flash in red while the percentages continued to rise, "Alright...how is this bad?"

"His synch ratio is already in the 300s!" Misato cried out, "You have to shut down Eva as soon as that thing is terminated!"

"I say do it now!" Maya shouted while pointing to the monitor, "At this rate! He'll reach 400% before he's even done!"

"What happens at 400%?"

"His body will be reduced to the consistency of orange juice." Mokuba reported over the comm, "And it'll be a real pain to put him back together..."

"If we can even do that..." Misato muttered to herself, "Shinji...don't lose yourself to the beast..."

* * *

**Anima**

"I don't care what happens to me..." Shinji growled within a pilot capsule that felt like it was filled with spiraling strands of blood and energy, "I don't care what happens to the eva...but I will protect them...I'll protect Simon...I'll protect Hikari..."

"Even If I die..." His eyes glowing red, he heard Anima roar to counter the challenge of his enemy, "I'LL DIE WITH MY FIST IN YOUR SKULL!"

* * *

**District 6**

The air around Anima practically erupted as it fired another pair of beams from it's ears that bore into Zilla's neck and ran down across the middle of it's chest. When the beams dissipated, the Zilla's chest burst open as the creature growled in pain from the blood that gushed out of exposed wound that ran from it's neck down to it's chest.

Gargling on it's own blood, Zilla attempted to charge another beam, but was unable to without worsening it's internal wound. Practically smiling, Eva stomped forward with debris rising from each step that it took towards it's prey. It's eyes remained red while the oni drew out two progressive knives from it's pylons and scratched the blades together while they radiated with the same orange energy that formed into a wide halo above the oni's head.

Despite having practically lost the fight, the Zilla refused to relent and charged Eva while it crouched into a ready position. With calculating grace and speed, Eva dug the blade of each knife into each portion of the creature's open jaws. The beast thunderously roared a cry that was quickly cut off when Eva used it's own jaws to bite Zilla's tongue and rip it out of it's place within the beast's mouth.

Gasping, the beast unheedingly fired another atomic blast that was trapped within it's mouth and slowly tortured with it's own power while Eva forcefully opened and closed Zilla's mouth and threw it into the ground. Anima then kicked into the beast's exposed and unhealed neck while Zilla desperately gagged for relief, air or a chance for defeat that would never come.

Eventually satisfied, Anima threw the beast onto it's back and kept it's foot in it's neck while it pulled with it's arms. First, the lower part of Zilla's jaw was wrenched off and thrown onto it's chest wound while the upper half was jerked around to break the creature's spine. Alive, but unable to resist as it's power died down, Anima stomped over to the creature's open chest and began to use it's knives as impromtu shovels while it dug out the creature's chest cavity in search of something. After a single moment, it dug it's knives into the creature's exposed heart and pulled to tear the organ apart. The creature wildly jerked while Anima stood over it and watched it's foe defy it's defeat.

Finally, the heir of the king of beast's gave out a final gargle and fell still.

The Purple Oni crouched down to look into the lifeless eyes of it's enemy and kicked in it's neck to be sure. It also peered into the zilla's open chest and fired a violent eye beam that destroyed it's remaining insides. Content in it's victory, Anima released a mighty roar from it's jaws as an F-22 flew over the scene and proceeded to dive down towards the Eva as it's halo faded and it's power waned.

A faded pulse of yellow energy erupted on the top of Anima's head that caused light to fade from it's eyes. Then just like that, Anima was deactivated and fell onto the District soil.

* * *

**Control Center**

"Who jinxed it?" Kaiba growled over the comm as he saw that Anima had been deactivated by a targeted EMP pulse, "Which one of you ungrateful drebs decided to jinx the one hope spot that just came up from this situation? Was it you Simon?"

"No my problem...not my problem...not my problem..."

"Great, someone needs to snap him out of it..." Kaiba said as he switched comms to one of his other rangers, "Roger?"

"Do I ever jinx things?"

"Good point...Heero?"

"I don't believe in jinxes."

"Fine, Bit-" Kaiba and the entire command crew felt the weight in their drawers increase when the viewscreen displayed a blond youth whose face bore the eyes of the diablo, "Okay...I'll call you later."

"Good idea..." Bit agreed with an angry tone as the screen returned to the normal map of the city.

"What about you Van?" When he heard only static, Kaiba shrugged his shoulders and called someone else, "Commander Amada?"

"I'm busy!"

"And this makes you important because? Fine, I'll call your wife!"

"I'm prepping!"

"Fine, Udaki?"

"It's Uraki! And no it wasn't me!"

"Geez...Kamille?"

"It was probably Judau..."

"Hey!"

"I'll take that as a no then, Hathaway?"

"No."

"Sure you didn't, Yugi?" When he started to hear an evil chuckle from his archrival, Kaiba smiled, "You cheap bastard...you jinxed it didn't you?"

"For a while, I didn't think that things would get any better." Yugi replied casually, "But then I saw that the japanese schoolboy had gotten his act together and I also noted that it was odd for an F-22 to conveniently fly over at the same time that Eva just won it's fight. So I said to myself-"

"Yugi..."

"What could possibly...go...wrong?" Kaiba's smile quickly turned into a violent frown as the temperature of the Command Deck rapidly dropped, "You mad bro?"

"HELL YES!"

"Then I win the game!"

"What game?"

"Ha! I win again! If you have to ask what the game is, then you've already lost!"

"I...hate you..."

* * *

**Skies above Angel Groove**

"Direct hit!" The F-22 congratuelated himself as he swung his form around to land into the district of the purple oni and capture it, "I can hardly believe that my null-ray actually worked!"

"Starscream report!" Starscream heard the Communications officer demand while being caught in the middle of a fight above orbit, "And make it quick! I'm busy!"

"How is that any concern of mine, fool?" Starscream mockingly asked as he transformed and landed several meters away from the disabled demon that held the key to Cybertron's salvation and to the domination of the Decepticon race, "Anyhow...the Lilin has been disabled and Astrotrain is already on his way...am I correct?"

"Yes Lord Starscream..."

"Good..." Starscream stated as he hung up on the objecting Soundwave while he spied the Lilin, "Hello...amazing that such a creature holds so much in common with those weak...disgusting fleshlings!"

"I have no idea about what Blackout was so worried about." Starscream heard Barrage communicate as the Decepticon saw a large metallic Rhinocerous Beetle hover towards Starscream and transform into his true form, "We needed only for the fleshlings to spread themselves thin and for the Lilin to exhaust itself."

"I should probably fire another Null Ray just to be safe..." Starscream figured as he aimed his wrist mounted cannon at the Lilin and fired. The two decepticons shook in place as the beast roared in protest before lying down in continued silence, "My father always said that anything worth keeping is not going to be easy pickings."

"Didn't you kill your father sir?"

"He was a wise warrior, Barrage." Starscream stated as nine cybertronian warriors appeared from their stealth fields and closed in on the Lilin, "He also said that time is best unwasted on the weak."

"Good advice, I wish that I'd known your father-" Suddenly, Barrage's body flailed it's arms as a barrage of 90mm energy tipped-saber rounds impacted into his body, causing parts and energon to freely fly onto the ground as Starscream and his protoform platoon watched in surprise and awe. By the time that the Decepticon had traced the gunfire, Barrage was already dead before he fell to the ground in a pile of bullet-riddled metal.

"So...you still think that we're weak?" The ruined building from whence came Barrage's demise fell apart as a White and Blue Gundam emerged from within it with smoke rising from the barrels of it's wrist-mounted cannons, "Or was that your friend who said that?"

"Impressive human...but it changes nothing." Starscream boasted as he flung out his arms while the protoform soldiers prepared to avenge their lieutenant, "One fleshling machine against nine soldiers of the Decepticon Dynasty, lead by the all-mighty leader of the Decepticons? That is hardly a fair fight..."

"Right...but just in case..." The Blue and White Gundam stood in place while hatches opened in the ground around the decepticon attack force and revealed the rising forms of what Starscream identified as another gundam with a long dark trench coat covering its body with bulky armor on it's legs, a heavily customized and modified Zaku that possessed parts from a machine known as a Geara Doga and two blue Goufs with one bearing a single silver pauldron with a white unicorn and the other bearing a blue pauldron bearing a name that Starscream didn't care to make out, "Five on ten...that sound fair to you?"

"Did I say nine soldiers?" Starscream asked as more protoforms emerged from their stealth field and joined their leader, "How about fifty on five?"

"That sounds more fair."

"Your arrogance does your species little credit."

"For you."

* * *

**District 6 Sensor Array**

"Major Ikari? Do you copy? This is the District 6 Sensory Post!" The Sentry Officer called into the comm while Hikari surveyed the growing chaotic battle outside, "Major Ikari! Come on Shinji!"

"Hello?" A weak voice replied that Hikari recognized as Shinji's, "Hi Sensory Post...are you guys alright?"

"Thanks to you kid," The officer answered as he turned to Hikari, "Hey...switch that blank monitor to the life readings of Eva Anima, alright?"

"How?" Hikari asked, "I'm not exactly a technician-"

"See the Eva button?" The officer asked as Hikari spotted a bright purple button labeled "Eva", "Push that."

"Yes sir..." Hikari replied and was shocked from the readings that came on the screen, "He's...he's not going to make it..."

"What was that?"

"You're in bad shape from the look of it Shinji, but nothing that you can't handle." The officer replied before putting the comm on hold and turning to Hikari, "Alright...listen to me lass. Right now Major Ikari is suffering massive internal bleeding. The LCL of the Eva is keeping him together, but if we don't get him to a medical center then he's going to drown in his own blood."

"Drown?"

"Drown!" The officer emphasized to Hikari's growing shock, "There's a Stark Jegan parked in the bay. I'm not much good in a vehicle, so I need you to take it and get over to the Major and stabilize him."

"Alright..." Hikari answered and then realized exactly what she was being asked to pilot, "Ah...isn't a Jegan really hard to pilot?"

"Oh my god! Yes! What was I thinking! No offense, but you need military training for those machines." The officer stated, "Now if it was a regular GM or a normal Jegan then no problem! Any idiot could pilot that thing and survive...but a Stark Jegan! Those things can fight gundams you know!"

"Have any of them won?"

"No." The officer admitted when he saw an incoming transmission, "District 6 Sensory Post, how can I help ya?"

"Hi Mr. Archer!" Noriko's voice called over the comm, "Can you send someone to pick us up? My Jegan doesn't work and Mr. Braynor can't fix it."

"Stomach acid can do terrible things to metal if it's strong enough..." Braynor commented, "If you've got a spare suit then send it over and extract us from this goddamned warzone."

"One thing at a time..." The officer responded and was hearing a call from Shinji, "Major? Can ya hold there for a moment, we've got a tense situation right now."

"I'm not in a hurry..."

"Maybe you can have me get the Stark Jegan to Noriko and then Noriko can take me over to Shinji so that I can stabilize him and call for extraction?" Hikari volunteered as the officer handed her a booklet, "What's this?"

"Found it in the drawer, it's a "Stark Jegan piloting manual for dummies." Archer scoffed, "Might as well use it, it's not like you'll have to do any fighting..."

* * *

**Fanelian Embassy**

"Hitomi!"

"Not buts Merle! I'm going out!" Hitomi said while she finished changing into an uncomfortable tight spandex suit, "If I don't then Van's going to die!"

"Hitomi! You know that your fortune telling stuff isn't that precise!" Merle cried out while attempting to pull the princess out of the hanger filled with stored guymelefs, "Remember what happened when you tried to predict Millerna's wedding?"

"I was a girl then! I'm much more responsible about it!"

"You mean when you thought that you and Lord Van would make an unexpected baby-"

"If Kamina hadn't banged on the door then we would've been well on our way!" Hitomi stated with a heavy blush, recalling how close that she and her fiancee got to breaking their abstinance vow until she turned 18 and could be legally married to the King of Fanelia, "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Van's going to die horribly if I don't help and if...I don't find Nia..."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't find Nia then this whole city's going to go up in an atomic boom!" Hitomi said when the cat-girl finally stopped trying to hold her back and instead rubbed her head against Hitomi's, "Merle..."

"Just be careful okay..." Merle said while looking past Hitomi to the gundam that stayed in storage, "Wait...is that the suit of a-"

"Yes..."

"Were you a gundam-"

"No...the gundam is a gift from my dad..."

"Is your dad-"

"Yes! Yes he is!" Hitomi answered and exhaled when she saw stars of adoration in Merle's eyes, "How do you even know who he is?"

"WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE KING OF-"

"Hitomi!" Hitomi thanked God for the convenient distraction that came when Nia ran to her with a worried expression on her face, "Are you about to go help the others?"

"Van's the one who really needs me..."

"Can I come? I want to help." Nia asked while Hitomi shook her head, "Come on...I've piloted gunmen before-"

"I know that Nia...but things will just get worst if more than one person goes to help Van." Hitomi explained to the white haired girl who nodded with reluctant understanding, "Hey...how come the Gurren Brigade isn't going to fight-"

"They were sent to the northeastern areas..." Nia explained, "Apparently there is something called a decepticon that is also attacking the city and any available DF forces are being sent to intercept them if they're not already engaged with the zillas..."

"Speaking of which..." Hitomi thought to herself, "You can help me though...actually...you can help Simon and Shinji..."

"How?" Nia asked while Hitomi sensed a large amount of confusion and desire to see Shinji in her mind, "What do you need me to do?"

"Well first off...I'm just going to send you to where Shinji's going to be later and by helping Shinji...you'll help Simon..." Hitomi stated while she held her crystal necklace in her hand and on her command it began to glow, "Granted...I haven't done this in a while so bare with me..."

* * *

**District 42**

"Bit? This is Dr. Tauros...your heart rate just skyrocketed! You okay?"

"I'm fine Doc...just taking...inventory," Bit replied through audio only as he did not want to scare any of the Blitz Team like he likely had done to Kaiba, "Hows everyone in the other districts?"

"Some are doing better than others..." Tauros answered while Liger remained crouched to hide from the Zilla that was likely looking for it, "Take for instance Roger...whose getting torn apart...Simon and Van aren't doing that well...neither is Heero or the group in District 16 and...Shinji killed his."

"How?"

"I don't know, I just got the video logs from the sentry post." Tauros answered and then gasped as he jumped from his seat, "The hell?"

"What is it doc?"

"HE'S A NUT! HE'S CRAZIER THAN A COCONUT!" Tauros's coconut helmed hand puppet said while Tauros brought out a shield liger in his other hand, "What do you think?"

"I don't know...I guess he's just being pragmatic." Tauros' liger figure stated while Bit chuckled a little, "He wore down the beast and then took out it's heart!"

"The heart?"

"Some officer in District 6 uploaded a...detailed map of the beast's internal functions." The coconut puppet answered while the liger leapt up in excitement, "Apparently, there's some sort of gathering of electronic energy within part of it's heart and that's probably where the fake godzilla's regenerations is coming from."

"So take out the heart and that'll take out that nucleus..." Bit said to himself, "Got it...I've got it from here doc."

"But you're only in your base form-"

"Liger Zero...Sunflower..."

"Good! I get to save ammo and money on my cannon project!"

"Glad to help doc." Bit replied before the comm switched off and Liger leapt out of a pit of loose dirt to attack the Zilla. Liger barely swerved to avoid the tail swing of the beast and rolled to avoid it's kick before firing it's under-mounted cannons into the Zilla's other leg. Unsurprisingly, it had no affect while Liger was left trapped under the Zilla's gaze as it charged a nuclear beam within it's mouth and unleashed it.

"Here we go buddy!" White wings covered in glowing pedal-like feathers sprouted out of Liger's back just before the Zilla's blast was diverted and absorbed into the feral zoid. Liger leapt through the after trail and tackled Zilla's vast neck and grabbed on with it's jaws. The zoid then began to rapidly spin the larger creature in circles before casting it into a raised and abandoned barrier wall.

While Zilla recovered from the zoid's sudden burst of strength, Liger raised up it's open jaws and allowed small particles of energy to form and condense into an expanding white orb. Liger aimed and fired a rapid burst of power in the Zilla's direction, obscuring it from view while the blast ran across the district into the mountains beyond it's north-eastern border.

When the blast dissipated into harmless particles, the Zilla was left standing on it's legs covered in burn marks and open scabs while Liger simply growled.

"Easy boy..." Bit said to calm his Liger just before the zoid leapt through the air and threw the beast into the scorched soil with a bright tackle while digging it's White Strike Laser Claws into the beast's chest, "Go for the kill! Don't give any ground!"

After wrenching open a large hole, Liger charged a smaller beam of energy as the Zilla began to recover from the previous assault. Though it would only have a small portion of the power that the previous blast had possessed, Bit decided that it would enough considering his target and fired a thin beam of power into the monster's open chest...

* * *

**Command Center**

"Sir! We've confirmed a kill in District 42-"

"I'm not blind." Kaiba replied to the bridge bunny while reviewing footage of a large beam of energy searing through District 42 and the adjacent mountain area, "What is that beam composed of?"

"Solar energy..." Optimus replied, "It seems as though there is more to Bit than meets the eye."

"You've been waiting a long time to say something like that, haven't you?"

"I'm a floating head inside of a glorified fish jar, I deserve a perk here and there don't I?"

"If you have such a problem with being a head, then why don't you call your buddies to give you a body?" Seto asked until a thought occurred to him, "Oh that's right! THEY'RE TRYING TO STEAL MY EVA!"

"You're Eva?"

"Yes Colonel or do I need to show you the contract that your Commander signed?" Seto inquired Misato who grumbled and went back to Maya's side, "That's right...walk away and shake that booty-" Kaiba boredly deflected a bullet with a Kuriboh card while the crew marveled at what Kaiba had done.

"Seto..." Mokuba muttered from a corner of the viewscreen, "YOU HAVE A KURIBOH!"

"One of the kids gave it to me before he left and...I kept it in my pocket-"

"Bullshit you hypocrite!"

"First off...why do you care about what kind of trading card that I have?" Kaiba politely asked Misato who was still holding the smoking gun, "Two...you are the last person who should be calling anyone a hypocrite colonel...and Three, why hasn't the security arrived to arrest this woman for shooting at me?"

"You reassigned them to District 16."

"Then get them back here Mokuba!"

"I can't...they're dead."

"Where's that Ramirez guy?"

"On assignment...along with all of Task Force 141 before you even ask."

"How convenient..."

"Only about as convenient as you having a Kuriboh card in your coat-"

"Shut up Mokuba-"

"NO YOU SHUT UP SETO!"

"They own this entire city..." Optimus noted to himself and Seto and Mokuba entered into an intercomm argument despite the city wide battle that waged outside of the Command Center, "Human logic...scares me sometimes..."

* * *

**District 13**

"Hey Simon! I'm getting a mouse code from Bit!"

"You mean Morse Code?"

"Yeah that!" Kamina answered while deciphering the code despite the blood that poured from the ruptured scar of his chest, "Why do I feel like that stab from that ape guy should've killed me?"

"Bro?" Simon asked while barely containing his focus in the face of the mechanized lizard that was unleashing an Oral Maser Cannon in Gurren Lagann's dirrection. The Gunman arched to the avoid the attack and ducked behind the cover of a fallen building as the machine laughed, "Bro...what is Bit saying?"

"Awesome! Shinji and him just beat their zillas!" Kamina declared as confidence emerged in Simon's morale, "Looks like these have got a weakness...use that and we can crush this tin can with our manly awesomeness!"

"Wow! Go Aniki!"

"Amazing I know..."

"So what's the weakness?"

"First we've gotta break down it's defenses and exhaust it's energy." Simon's rising morale plummeted while Kamina continued, "Then we've got to break into it's chest and destroy it's heart!"

"Ah...bro..." Simon began as the building that Gurren Lagann was hiding behind was lifted from it's foundations by Mechagodzilla who held the structure with an arm embedded into it's concrete, "This thing absorbs energy...including ours..."

"Okay, what's the problem?"

"And it's a robot..."

"I'm not following you Simon..." Grunting in frustration, Simon jumped up and slammed a drill-covered hand into the building to crash it onto mechagodzilla while Gurren Lagann landed on it's feet, "See! We're wearing it down!"

"We can't beat it..." Simon muttered before he heard a knock on Lagann's hatch. He opened the hatch in time to see Kamina getting ready to punch him, "Bro-"

"GRIT THOSE TEETH!" Kamina roared as he slammed his fist into Simon's face and threw the youth against the seat of his chair. When Simon sat back up, Kamina had his hand assuredly massaging the child's hair, "Scared?"

"No..."

"Simon? What did I tell you about men who lie?" Kamina asked as the bags under Simon's eyes faded away in shame, "If you're scared then you're scared, don't deny it and act like some fearless idiot like Kittan."

**xxxx**

"I HEARD THAT!" Kittan shouted as King Kittan was barraged by a rain of crystal shards...

**xxxx**

"Real courage is saying that you're scared, but going on forward anyway!" Kamina reminded Simon while he looked up at his older brother with rising strength, "Besides, you've faced way worst than this guy remember? Like the beastmen!"

"But he had you and the Dai-Gurren Brigade..."

"Yeah, but he's fought a bunch of ridiculously powerful monsters."

"With the help of other mecha pilots..."

"What about that Genjo guy?"

"It was a monk."

"THE GUY COULD BREATH FIRE AND HAD A POLL THAT COULD GO INTO OUTER SPACE-" Simon stopped himself when he realized that he had been yelling at the face of mechagodzilla, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to get enraged by the NOISE!" Gurren Lagann raised up it's drill covered arms to block the drills of mechagodzilla while the gunmen pilots returned to their seats, "I'm enjoying myself so much!"

"But you're just a machine!"

"NOT JUST A MACHINE!" Mechagodzilla shouted as it broke the depowered drills of the gunman and unleashed an electrical surge into Gattai Gunman that caused it to fall upon it's back, "I'm the machine...what about you? Let's so how much noise you make without a machine..."

"Bro...what do we do?" Simon muttered while he attempting to restart the gunman and heard Kamina coughing below him, "Bro?"

"Hey...don't worry Simon-" Kamina was cut off as aggrevation from a near-fatal encounter with the beastman began to rise, "Shit..."

"Bro!" Overcome by concern for his big bro, Simon was distracted and completely surprised when a series of rockets blazed towards Gurren Lagann. The Gattai Gunman produced a drill-shaped lance which it used to cut through the missiles before they could detonate and was blasted back by the laser cannon that destroyed Gurren Lagann's arm. While Gurren Lagann grimaced from the damage, Mechagodzilla charged forward and kneed the gunman in it's lower face and bit down on the Gunman's upper body, "BRO!"

"LET'S SEE HIM GRIT HIS TEETH!" Kamina shouted as a shroud of spiral energy gathered around Gurren Lagann as it climbed into the mecha lizard's mouth, "GIGGGAAA DRRRRILLLLL MMMMAAAXXXXIIIIIIMMMMMUUUUUM MMM!" Mechagodzilla's head was burst open by a series of drills that emerged from the hard cocoon that covered the gunman. The mecha lizard's headless body was then thrown to the ground while the cocoon rolled off and onto the ground where it dissipated to reveal the heavily damaged Gurren Lagann, "Think I over did it..."

"That's alright Bro! I've got it from here-" Simon's enthusiasm died again when the mecha lizard stood on it's feet and sprouted a metallic draconic head from it's stump, "Wha...I...I thought..."

"Cut the head off of a snake and it dies..." Mechagodzilla spoke as it prepared to fire it's full payload into Gurren Lagann's direction, "Take off MY HEAD AND I'LL MAKE ANOTHER ONE AND EAT YOU WITH IT!"

"Isn't that how you lost your head in the first place?" Simon jumped upon realizing that a certain loathed guitarist was sitting on top of Gurren Lagann's head, "Why don't you just shot them?"

"Naota..."

"Good idea. THANKS FOR THE TIP-" Before it could make good on it's intentions, the mechanized lizard was hauled into the air by it's tail with Megas XLR holding on with both hands and swinging the mecha lizard into the ruined soil, "DAMN IT! WHY DIDN'T I DETECT YOU?"

"Guess Zechs knew what he was talking about...not that Coop cares..." Naota noted boredly as Megas was knocked away by a barrage of missiles while Naota opened the hatch to Simon's cockpit, "So...You gonna do something or what?"

"He's...he's too strong-"

"DON'T DODGE THE QUESTION!" Naota roared as he grabbed Simon's collar and remained unaffected by the explosion that blew past Lagann, "Stop standing in place and waiting for something to happen! You wanna do something then do it!"

"Bro's hit..."

"So you're just gonna hide and let him die?" Simon's eyes widened while the lines under his eyes grew thicker from realizing the truth of Naota's words, "Hell's wrong with you! I thought that you were a manly badass or I guess you really are just a kid playing dress-up to be with the big kids!"

"I really don't care either way..." Naota threw Simon back into Lagann's cockpit and hauled his guitar onto his shoulder, "Guess you just remind me of when I was a kid trying to be an adult. You wanna be something, then be it...don't act. I'm kind of glad...glad that I wasn't the only one who was trying to grow up too fast. Let me guess...you're parents either treated you horribly, were horribly absent or died horribly?"

"They're...dead..." Simon answered, flashes of his parents being crushed appeared in his eyes while he closed them and growled, "I'm not standing still..."

"Looks like it to me."

"WELL YOU'RE NOT ME!" Simon shouted as he stabbed the core bit into Lagann's console to reactivate his gunman, "Everything moves forward...that's just how things go. You can't go backwards...or at least you shouldn't and you can't stand still or you'll miss out on life and on being the best that you can be. If I stand still...I can't help my friends...If I stand still then I'll can't be there for my family...If I stand still then I'll let bro and aniki die."

"If I stand still...I CAN'T GET TO THAT THING!" Lagann cried out as energy flared into the defunct lower half of the Gattai Gunman, causing it to burn with green spiraling flames as Gurren Lagann awoke, "Bro...you go ahead and rest, THIS GUY IS MINE!"

"That's my bro..." Kamina whispered within his cockpit, allowing himself to rest as his wound ceased to bled, "You've got this one...I'll just chill."

* * *

**District 17**

The streets of the district were vacant and quiet. Most civilians had already evacuated into the shelters while any resident GM forces were suspiciously absent from where they should be.

Complements of the MI Abrams Tank and Black Ford Probe Sports Car that rolled through the empty streets.

Within the garage of one particular depot, an 85 Mack Car Carrier remained stationary while the tank rolled past the depot.

"Ultranus! Do you copy?" The Car Carrier heard one of his comrades inquire over the communications line as it drove out of the garage, "Ultranus? Are you there?"

"I copy Broadside...how many decepticons are in the area?"

"Over a hundred Ultranus..." The Car Carrier drove at a brisk pace and quickly parked behind an overturned dump truck to avoid the detection of a Buffalo Mine-Protected Vehicle that charged through the area, "They really want the Lilin."

"And this isn't even their full capability..." The Car Carrier replied in heavy thought as it continued it's journey through the empty streets, "I'm tracking a group of decepticons that are preparing to ambush the Lilin and it's escorts. Send the signal to Sentinel."

"Sentinel? But he won't be here for five days-"

"Then we'd best start now or we will be alone in this war."

"Understood sir." The Car Carrier screeched to a halt when it spotted a Decepticon protoform soldier stand upon an overturned schoolbus and terrorize the children who were still trapped within, "What about those beasts?"

"We cannot interfere with the beasts without bringing further harm to the humans." The Car Carrier shifted into acceleration and blindsided the protoform by ramming into it's back and crushing it's torso against the wall of a nearby power line carrier, "For now, we focus on stopping the decepticons." A compartment in the rear of the carrier opened up and a metallic stem emerged that soon transformed into a hammer which bashed into the protoform's head. The blow was all that it took to destroy the protoform as the nearby children cheered...

* * *

**Border of District 6 and 17**

"How's everyone holding up over there?"

"Just fine Mr. Archer!" Noriko replied from the cockpit of the Stark Jegan that her roommate had ungracefully donated to her while Hikari was with Shinji in the clumsily moving Eva behind the Jegan, "How's Brayson and the others?"

"Apart from losing my favorite gun to stomach acid, I'm fine officer." Noriko heard the older DF pilot reply over the Comm, "Just focus on getting Anima to safety to get it repaired and the major put into medical treatment."

"Understood..." Noriko answered and switched her comm to communicate to the Blue Gouf that flanked the Evangelion, "How much further Miss Aina?"

"We're two hundred and twenty meters away and closing," Aina reported while monitoring the situation of another battle back in District 6, "Now we know what Kamille was warning us about. Do you remember that scorpion machine that attacked you?"

"Yeah...what about it ma'am?"

"It escaped the lab..."

"WHAT?" Noriko nearly shouted, "But how? I thought that was secured and locked down and-"

"That's the thing...no body even remembers..." Aina pointed out, "Somehow...the entire engineering staff and Task Force 141 had no memory of the time period of a single hour. That was the window in which all surviellance systems began to malfunction...coincidence?"

"The decepticons did it?"

"They're after something..." Aina stated as the trio entered District 17, "And based on how far they've already gone to get it, they're not going to leave until they're sure that they can't get it...or they're all dead..."

"Incoming!" Noriko warned before a tank shell impacted against the expanded AT Field of Anima, "Miss Aina!"

"I see it!" Aina replied as the two mobile suits got into a defensive formation in front of the crouching Anima and readied their weapons for the M-I Abrams tank that rolled towards them, "The hell? Are they serious?"

"That tank is one of them?"

"A decepticon...but boy did it goof on a vehicle..." The Gouf aimed with it's tommy gun and fired a burst of cannon fire that impacted on the hull of the tank, "A tank might've worked against a zaku. But this is no zaku child...NO ZAKU!"

"Aina?"

"Sorry...Old war instincts-" Aina was cut off as the Tank transformed into it's true form and oddly grew in size so that it was both bulkier and taller than either mobile suit, "Kamille warned me about that too..."

"How the hell do they transform into cars and then when they go back to their true forms...they turn into giant sized robots?"

"It still can't hit us as long as we're in the AT field right?" The pilots heard a worried Hikari ask, "Right?"

"As long as they don't have a sufficient amount of firepower or force...then we should be alright..." Aina assuredly replied just as she spotted a Buffalo Mine-Protected Vehicle that was charging towards them at maximum speed, "He's in a hurry to leave."

"Then why are they coming towards us instead of trying to run away from us?" At Noriko's question, Aina realized too late that something was wrong with the vehicle that had just sped beyond the confines of the AT Field. It swiftly transformed and revealed a skating machine that growled and leapt over the mobile suits, "SHIT! THEY GOOFED US!"

"I'm locked on! Don't worry!" Noriko shouted as a payload of missiles flared from the Stark Jegan's shoulders and encompassed the attacking machine in a colorful explosion, "Did I get him!"

"Think so! Now focus on the other one-" Again, Aina realized too late that the decepticon known as Bonecrusher was very much alive and currently leaping for her gouf. The former Zeon scientist and test pilot was rocked in her seat as the Decepticon brute crashed her through the wall of a nearby building and caused her to fall into a parking lot located in the building's sub-basement...

* * *

**District 17 again...**

Hearing the sounds of explosions in an intensity that would make Michael Bay proud, the 85 Mack Car Carrier rolled down the street towards the source of the chaos. As it moved, it detected several energon signatures that were revealing themselves and moving towards a single destination.

The decepticons had found the Lilin.

Accelerating to it's top speed, the 85 Mack Car Carrier knew all too well that it was being stalked by Black Ford Sports Car. With little time to handle the decepticon for the time being, the 85 Mack Car Carrier continued to speed along with the Sports Car following. Eventually, it came upon a chaotic battle scene where a Purple demonic Oni was ripping off the head of a protoform soldier and using it's unwilling partner as a makeshift barrier from the assault of Barrage. Nearby, a Stark Jegan knocked another protoform from it's feet and crushed it's head with a stomp before using a beam saber to slash through another protoform and firing a wall of missiles at the decepticon known as Barricade.

Also known as the pin-cushion of the galaxy.

"Impressive..." The Car Carrier commented as Eva was forced to hold itself up when a burst of energy slammed into it's back. Above it, an oversized MIG 25 Fighter Jet had begun to unleash a series of cannon fire that was intended to surpress the Lilin's powerful defenses until the other decepticons to move in to neutralize and capture it.

"I think I can handle this." The Car Carrier said to himself while he tried to communicate to the beleaguered humans and heard no response, "Damn...I knew that this twenty-year old signal wouldn't work...oh well..." Running down another protoform and then running over it with crushing velocity, the Car Carrier's form began to shift and alternate parts until the true form of the Cybertronian Warrior was revealed.

"Stop!" Ultranus used it's foot to stop the Decepticon Ford Probe known as Blackjack and brought out an epitomous weapon that caused the foe to lubricate himself, "Hammertime!" The hammer was slammed into the hood of the vehicle and caused it to fall into two twisted halves with cybertronian parts visible through it's cracks.

"Punk Ass Decepticon." Ultranus muttered as he pried his hammer from the silent corpse of the Decepticon and noticed most of the Decepticon attack force turn his attention to him while he marched towards them, "Oh yes...I can handle you alright. Wreck you certainly, but handle you none the less."

* * *

**District 17 Sub-basement**

"You wanna a fight then here it is!" Lashing it's spiked tail at the Gouf, Bonecrusher roared in delight when the blue fleshling machine was slashed across it's shoulder and damaging it's shoulder plating. The Decepticon moved in with it's clawed hands, slashing at the mobile suit and cursing as the machine dodged his attempts to kill it.

"Stand still fleshling!" Bonecrusher cried out in delight, uncaring of when the Gouf pulled out an axe with a heated edge in one hand and a sword with a heated blade. The Gouf avoided one of Bonecrusher's punches and used the axe to hack off his right forearm before stabbing it's sword through Bonecrusher's hand and spinning him onto the ground.

"I'll skin you alive-" Roaring in pain and rage, Bonecrusher rose to it's feet just as the Gouf stabbed it's blade through the Decepticon's spine to paralyze the machine. As the Decepticon destroyer gasped in anger, the Gouf twisted the blade further to allow it's blade to burn more of Bonecrusher's internal structure. Liquid energon splashed on the mobile suit's front as Bonecrusher's arm weakly thrashed at his side.

"Fleshling...no one can stop the mighty-" The blade of the Gouf's axe embedded into Bonecrusher's face until the Gouf moved the sword to remove the neck, head and upper body of Bonecrusher from between the decepticon's shoulders.

"You wanted a fight...I never said that you'd like it..." Aina said with exhaustion as her weapons depowered and her Gouf stood over the mangled remains of the decepticon, "Noriko! Come in!"

"Noriko here! We're almost there!"

"What about the decepticons?"

"They got tied up..." Noriko replied while the Gouf heard something crash into the sub-basement and found a protoform corpse whose chest had been bashed in by a powerful blunt force, "I'm pretty sure that this one is on our side."

"Or at least he's the enemy of our enemy."

"Doesn't that make him our friend?"

"Not always..." Aina replied from experience, "We'll see for sure after all of this is over."

* * *

**District 46**

Feeling his eardrums break from the blunt volume of his enemy's roar, Van roared back while Escaflowne continued to ride the beast with his sword plunged into it's backside.

It objected to this treatment and thrashed it's own back into the ground. Using the momentum of his enemy, Escaflowne dug in it's stab in an attempt to reach the creature's heart. However, it only managed to graze the organ before the Zilla emitted a Nuclear Pulse from it's body that melted away Escaflowne's sword and threw it onto the soil.

"So...all I have to do is break through it's defenses?" Van laughed while Escaflowne shielded itself from the Nuclear Pulse that emitted from the Zilla as it rose off of the ground and kicked the guymelef into a nearby hill, "Good! I prefer a challenge!"

"No offense Van...but I'm not going to let you get yourself killed!" A bright orb of light appeared above the Zilla and dissipated to reveal a falling red and white gundam that slashed it's naginata through the Zilla's neck and fired a burst of energy from it's arm mounted bow to blow back the lizard.

"Hitomi?" Van asked as Escaflowne was helped to it's feet by Hitomi's Gundam, "I thought that you didn't like violence?"

"Van...I kept a chinese jian in my room and train with a gundam that I got as an early engagement present for the past year and a half." Hitomi pointed out as Van was treated to an image of his fiance wearing a skin-tight latex suit, "Besides, didn't you say that you like seeing me in this suit?"

"Well...not exactly during the heat of battle...why can't you wear normal clothes again?"

"Because it interferes with the interface system of the gundam."

"Really? Cause all of the other mobile suits don't have their pilots in skin tight suits-" Van was interrupted when the Zilla roared to remind it's foes that it was still very much alive, "Nevermind...we need to focus on that thing."

"Mount me." Van's face turned multiple shades of red from his fiance's suggestion, "I MEAN MOUNT MY GUNDAM!"

"That...doesn't make it sound any better..." Van replied as very indecent and unkingly thoughts flashed through his mind, "Besides...doesn't that make you feel really uncomfortable in both good and bad ways?"

"You can make me feel better afterwards, right now...we need to kill that thing before it kills you."

"Damn it! You saw it kill me, didn't you?"

"Actually...I saw Black Escaflowne kill it along with half of the planet." Van paled from memories of that forbidden stage of his guymelef, "Then you died afterwards very painfully and slowly..."

"You could've just left it at Black Escaflowne..." Van replied as Escaflowne positioned itself behind the Gundam and inhaled, "ESCAFLOWNE! ARMOR AND SHIELD HITOMI! I OFFER MY BLOOD IN GRATITUDE OF THIS DEED!"

"And now to find my HAPPY PLACE!" Hitomi cried out as the Rising Gundam was mounted by the partially draconic Escaflowne. Escaflowne tightly fit it's components over the gundam's chest, forearms and wrapped it's legs upon the gundam's torso while Hitomi's breathing began to increase, "Worth it...completely worth it..."

"Come my love! I'm hungry for Zilla Soup!" Van declared as Escaflowne Rising drew forth a blade that was partially metal with the interior of the blade filled with purple energy. It's cape flowed in the wind while the impatient Zilla charged toward's it's target, confident in it's seemingly impregnable hide, "Shall we cut the meat or shall we beat it?"

"Van...just focus on breaking through it's defenses, alright?" Hitomi suggested right as the Zilla fired a ray of Atomic energy that the Guymelef-Gundam was barely able to avoid, "Can you trust me for a moment?"

"I always trust you."

"Lie on your back."

"How can I do that while I'm-"

"I MEAN THE...GUYMELEF...GUNDAM...Thingie..." Hitomi said while struggling with figuring out a good term for their gestalt mecha, "Gunmelef! Put the Gunmelef on it's back and let it step on us!"

"Very well..." Van agreed while he obeyed his fiance with both anxiety and rising soreness from the generous donation that escaflowne had taken from Van's blood, "And...you said let it step on us?"

"Yep..." Hitomi replied as the confused Zilla stepped towards it's foe and stood over the gunmelf, "Wait fifteen seconds."

"Are you sure that it's going to step on us?" Van inquired as the Zilla's jaws began to open, "Hitomi..."

"Wait for it..." Hitomi said as the Zilla roared upon it's still enemy and stomped it into the ground, "NOW!" On Hitomi's word, Escaflowne stabbed it's sword through the Zilla's hide while she prepared herself for the next phase.

"Okay...what shall we do now-"

"GIVE IT THIS!" Hitomi screamed as the arms of the Gunmelef began to burn with a rising fire, as if it's bright glow was telling her to grasp victory, "THESE ARMS OF MINE GLOW WITH A RISING FIRE!"

"THEIR BLAZING FORKS CALL ME TO GRASP VICTORY!" Van joined in as the Gunmelef Rising Escaflowne stood upon it's feet and lifted the Zilla into the air as searing fire of human fury and draconic wrath flowed through the sword, "TAKE IT BEAST!"

"OUR LOVE!"

"OUR PASSION!"

"AND ALL FOR OUR FUTURE!"

"RISING ARROW SWORD!" Upon the final proclamation, a great arrow of fire burst out of the Zilla's back and flared into the skies above the Groove where it soared behind human sight. Upon the ground, the Gunmelef jumped through the massive hole in the fallen beast and floated in midair while it's body began to fade away into particles of ash and dust that rose with the wind.

"I think we over did it..."

"We won and the fight's over."

"Are you sure that arrow's going to fade out or is it going to keep going?"

"Remember Sir. Isaac Newton's Law?"

"That's what I'm afraid of Hitomi!"

* * *

**District 15**

"Are seeing this shit Eledore?" Michael asked as he saw different sets of footage that depicted the highly charged, violent and honestly overdone deaths of three of the anamolies, "DO YOU SEE THIS SHIT?"

"I feel this shit..." The Tracker operator said to his partner as he picked up the frequency of a heavily dreaded weapon, "Please don't fire that gun again-"

"Afraid not." Heero replied as the Buster Rifle fired a burst of energy that soared towards the Zilla who countered the blast with it's atomic ray, creating a massive explosion as the energies of the two attacks canceled each other out, "Is everyone in position Commander?"

"We're just waiting on Kamille." Shiro replied as the EZ 08 was leaning under a crashed building with a long-ranged scoped cannon rifle that was aiming at the creature's eye, "Kamille? You in position yet?"

"Yes...I was just waiting for a reload..." The Zeta Gundam crouched within a hollowed out structural replica, "Kou? Judau?"

"Why am I in the Blue Marine!" Kou shouted while the Full Vernian waited within the waters of District 15 and was equipped with aquatic mobile armor equipment that Udaki...I mean Uraki prayed that he would never have to use again, "Judau! You tricked me!"

"Fool me once shame on you..." The ZZ Gundam was actually within the makeshift tunnel system that the Zilla had carved out and was aiming directly above it at where the Zilla was currently standing, "So what's the plan again?"

"Insane."

"When isn't it insane?"

"When it doesn't work?"

"Save it for the shawarma!" Shiro chuckled when he heard several DF pilots cheer at their commander's essential promise, "Bit and Shinji just took out their Zillas and we've figured out how to hit them. We need to damage or exhaust enough to leave the chest cavity open for attack. When that happens, we need to deal enough damage to it's heart to take out it's regenerative nucleus."

"Sounds a lot easier than it probably is..." Kamille commented while the Bird Mode Winged Gundam flew above the Zilla and avoided it's Atomic rays, "So what does the Angel of Death need us for?"

"Kamille!"

"I'm currently wearing down it's endurance and energy output. But afterwards, I won't be able to get close enough to finish it off." Heero answered as he heard Zero calling to him, "When I give the signal, that will mean that the Zilla has been sufficiently weakened for a joint assault with as many high energy weapons as you can procure. Aim for the chest and continue firing until you destroy it's heart."

"You're the one who can blow up a colony, why don't you do it yourself?"

"Really Kamille? You're really going to bring this up now?"

"I could...but that would destroy the entire city." Heero replied while Shiro groaned in his cockpit, "If you object to my profession then speak now."

"Profession? When was the last time that terrorism was a profession?"

"Probably from the time when desertion and open rebellion became a past time in the Federation." Heero noted just as he fired another blast at the Zilla and managed to blast off it's leg, "Interesting...it didn't resist as much that time..."

"So fire at it?"

"I would recommend waiting until-"

"WASTE IT!" Kou shouted as a series of torpedos were fired from the Blue Marine that rose out of the waters and flew towards the Zilla, "Oh shit...I jumped the gun again didn't I?"

"YOU BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN CRYING ABOUT PURPLETONE AGAIN!" Kamille shouted as the Zilla leapt upwards towards Heero with it's leg growing back in midflight, "Shit! Heero! Get down!"

"Understood." Heero complied with Gundam Wing lowering it's altitude to allow the Blue Marine's anti-vessel torpedoes to impact the beast and send it hurtling towards the ground where Gundam Wing was waiting with it's cannons prepped, "This will do...fire."

"Fire!"

"FIRE EVERYTHING!"

"FIRE!"

"FIRE!" With that, the falling Zilla was promptly peppered by the combined firepower of the falling weapons: Gundam Wing's Buster Rifle, Ez 08's Salamis Cannon, Blue Marine's Particle Torpedoes; Zeta's Hyper Mega Launcher; and ZZ's Hyper Mega Cannon. The criss-cross of energy muted out the Zilla's protesting roar as the distortion of energy created a massive flux of particles that swirled into a rapid electronic pattern that resembled the outer fields of an atom.

In short...a seizure procedure.

"Whatever you do...don't look at it..." Heero warned, but began to laugh when he heard Kamille collapse in his seat, "You okay?"

"I'm...I'm...I'm...fine..." Kamille replied while recalling a horrifying memory of an entire base being wiped off the map by a maniacally laughing man in a winged gundam of destruction and death, "Hey Shiro...how do you think Ginias would feel if his life's work could be easily replicated and enhanced?"

"He'd shoot a picture of Gihren Zabi till he ran out of bullets..."

"Yeah...he would-"

"HEY GUYS IT'S STILL ALIVE!" Eledore warned through the comm when they saw that a giant hole had been dug in the ground where the Zilla's body should have landed, "Shit...what is that thing made of?"

"Flesh and bone like us-"

"That's not what I meant Heero!"

"Then be more specific."

* * *

**District 49**

"I think that we're out of options Big O..." Roger spoke while the megadeus raised up it's arm to deflect the explosion of several rockets that the mechanized beast fired at it, "We're out of ammo...our armor is shot and getting close to this thing doesn't seem like a possibility..."

"The terms of this engagement are not favorable." He stated while Mechagodzilla began to approach, it's shadow casting a blanket of dread over the sweating negotiator, "Damn..."

"Do I sense the tone of defeat?" Roger heard a sophisticated voice ask as the mechanized lizard turned it's attention to the top of a building where a masked man stood holding a microphone, "Greetings friends!"

"V?" Roger asked in surprise, "V! What the hell are you doing here?"

"That is a curious question." V replied as Mechagodzilla began to charge an Oral Maser in it's mouth, "You see, my roommates had all vacated the premise as to avoid "missing out on the action." Not desiring to stay in my room alone and bored, I choose to take a simple walk-" V was cut off when a beam of energy encompassed him an the entire upper half of the building that he was standing on.

"V!" Roger shouted as he fired chain after chain at mechagodzilla and used all of the force that it could to knock the creature off of it's feet, "Damn..damn...dam..."

_"You accept the possibility of your defeat and yet you dare to deny the inevitability of another mortal dying?"_

"Shut up Schwartzbald!"

"Who are you speaking to Negotiator?"

"No one! I'm not crazy! You're crazy-" Roger halted his own voice when he realized who he was talking to, "V? You're still alive?"

"Oh very much so." Roger heard the gentleman reply as he saw the image of V in a very familiar cockpit on the viewscreen, "After all...this is a duo that we will be partaking in, is it not?"

"A duo?"

"BIG DUO!" V declared as a building next to Big O completely collapsed into the streets while a red blur flared into the skies of the Groove. Distracted with shock, surprise and the flashing images of fighting the red blur in question, Roger was unable to react when Mechagodzilla fired a surge of electric energy through the chains that caused Big O's left arm to cease movement.

"Great..." Roger muttered as Big O used it's remaining arm to snap the chains while the Red Blur flew above and behind mechagodzilla before it began to ascend, "What is he doing?"

"I am afraid that my skill in piloting cannot allow for an extended engagement, so I have elected to end this battle as quickly as possible." V explained as Roger felt time itself begin slow when he fully recognized the Red megadeus that was falling at terminal velocity, "Hopefully, you intend to avert my death by vast and long fall?"

"Fine!" Roger agreed as the last set of chains fired from Big O's body and wrapped themselves into the streets and nearby buildings before encoiling around Mechagodzilla as Big O discarged the remainder of the beast's own electrical energy into the chains to temporarily stun it, "We've only got one shot Shakesphere, so you better not miss!"

"We are facing a 100 meter metal dragon, our chances of failure are somewhat minimal."

"We're not done yet!" Roger shouted as Big O's right piston popped out of the megadeus' arm while time seemed to slow even more, "Alright... what do you have to say...Schwartzbald?"

_"Now you can again hear my voice Negotiator? You who possess the Spirit of man, empowered by the might of the gods. These mechanized gods made in the image of man and beast which we allowed to freely think and then enslaved them once more to obey our bidding."_ Roger waited while he suddenly saw himself standing over the construction of an unarmored giant, _"The Titans who formed this world into its sensual existence, and now seem to live in it in chains, are in truth the causes of its life & the sources of all activity; but the chains are the cunning of weak and tame minds, which have power to resist the power of the divine. Encoiling the might of the titans by the bounds of mortally defined moral conscience and conduct of ethics."_

_"These minds schemed against the titans...motivated both by their own greed, their ambition and even their fear."_ Roger felt his heart begin to beat faster when the skies above the Grove seemed to fill with Red Megadues, _"Fear...It is something vital to us puny creatures, Negotiator. It is that sensation that incites critical thought within the critical moment, the instinct to run faster, jump farther and survive longer. The instant man stops fearing is the instant the species will reach a dead end, only to sink to pitiable lows, only to sit and wait apathetically for extinction."_

_"Each person's jealousies, their desires, their fears...Alone, each may be a small part, but together they become and enormous whole that will take shape."_ The chains that entrapped the mecha zilla were destroyed by a short burst of energy that emitted from the creature's steel hull while Big Duo fell closer to the ground, _"Wake up and see the truth before you! Yes, that ancient mechanical dragon is a mirror of none other than yourself, you fool!"_

_"The anxiety within you has no outlet. it has no past and without a beginning it has no end and therefore will have no future!"_ Roger's teeth painfully grit within his jaws as Big Duo came closer and closer to impacting the beast, _"There is but one truth. If you avert your eyes from it, you will always remain nothing more than a puppet. A puppet that dances from the carpenter's table to the stands of the gallows, all for the entertainment of a dull and trite world that lives within a false and trite peace! Can you discover the strings and free yourself of your self-righteous suicide? NEGOTIATOR!" _At that moment, Big Duo's fist slammed into the upper back of the mechanized lizard and forced the creature forward towards the waiting Big O. Big O punched into the machine's chest and popped it's piston back into place, giving it the extra momentum that it needed to break through the matter and metal of it's foe and strike it's core where the combined pressure of two Megadeus fists resulted in the equivalent expression of celestrial mechanics:

When two objects of a similar and balanced nature collide, there will always be a disturbance on a collateral nature.

* * *

**Mokuba's Secret Exclusive Office**

"Hey Mokuba! We have confirmation! Shinji's safe!" Kiyal said with relief while Mokuba was sorting through a file cabinet in search of a particular document, "He's probably going to need intense medical treatment though..."

"Who wouldn't after everything that happened?" Mokuba asked when he finally found a technical sheet pertaining to the synch ratio chart of an evangelion, "What about the other fronts?"

"Well...Simon and Kamina are kicking ass as usual and the rangers have figured out how to beat those zillas."

"How?"

"Cut out the heart...basically." Kiyal replied with a shrug, "Something about a regenerative nucleus or something like that..."

"Same with the Mecha zillas?" Mokuba asked and raised an eyebrow when Kiyal nodded, "But...they're just machines..."

"Roger's wife had a daughter."

"That's...okay you've gotten me there." Mokuba relented while Kiyal just grinned, "Speaking of Roger, Hows he doing?"

"Haven't heard yet."

"I'm sure that it'll be more good news to hear!" Mokuba excitedly declared, "The Rangers have beaten their opponents or are getting there...Anima was safely recovered...and the Extended Edition of the Hobbit Trilogy just came in the mail!"

"It started out sour, but today's looking better already."

* * *

**District 16**

Unless your name was Kittan.

Kittan, currently piloting the gunman King Kittan, was currently being used as a telepathic battery ram. Said makeshift battery ram was being continually stabbed into Eva Unit 03's open chest wound while the Crystal-covered lizard floated in midair and used the energies of gravity to prevent the gunman from moving at all.

"Sorry about..." Kittan was cut-off when the gunman was slammed into the evangelion again, "...this little bro..."

"No prob-" Toji coughed and gasped when he felt Eva get hit again, "-blem, I've had worst."

"Leave my friends alone!" Mamoru shouted from within Gaogaigar as it readied it's attack, "BROKEN...GAO!" It shot out it's arm as if it were an accelerating missile and watched as it's glowing attack soared towards its target.

"This is gonna suck..." Aoi muttered with Nirvash trapped under the crippled Berserk Fuhrer as the rocket-powered forearm was easily diverted towards the Nirvash. The impact of the punch was barely blunted when Nirvash used it's combined shield as protection, but only barely, "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO THAT?"

"Sorry Aoi-chan..." Mamoru apologized as Spacegodzilla became bored and turned it's attention to Gaogaigar while dropping the battered gunman on top of the disabled Eva, "At least he's stopped attacking Kittan-nee san."

"Thanks...not like he can't finish the job after he's done with you-"

"Lot of gratitude Mr. Manly Awesomeness-"

"DO NOT MOCK MY MANLINESS!" King Kittan immediately rose to it's feet and entered into a dash to join Gaogaigar. Instead, it's leg fell off and it promptly fell on it's face, "Wanna give me a lift Toji?"

"I would...but my leg's...impaled through Vega...sorry..."

"It can be fixed..." The Blitz Team youth said while the Berserk Furher slowly pried out the long black leg that Spacegodzilla had impaled through it's side and into the ground, "After a really...really long time...but it can be fixed."

"Gee...I guess this is why you leave this to the professionals!" The lone and very tiny form of Yugi Mutoi muttered as he emerged from a hatch and surveyed the scene, "Nice job guys!"

"You think that you're such a hot shot? Let's see you take on that monster!" King Kittan shouted, "It ain't easy man! Not like you'd know since you're just some card game nerd-"

"MIND CRUSH!" Yugi threw his arm out towards the Crystal Zilla seemingly freezing in place before the discolored space around it cracked and then shattered. Life bereft from it's eyes, it slumped to it's knees and lowered it's head, "That was easy."

"Wow..."

"How did you do that?"

"That was amazing!"

"Oh thank you God! You really exist!"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU COME OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

"Because I was pouting!" Yugi answered an infuriated Kittan while he shuffled his deck, "Besides I only came out here because I was bored with Kaiba and...that one woman whose breasts are almost as big as Mai Valentine's."

"Whose she?"

"A very large pair of breasts."

"Are these breasts single?"

"No...they're married to Joey."

"DAMN IT!" Vega, Aoi, and Kittan shouted in unison as they all heard a threatening growl from the fallen Zilla, "Oh yeah...it's still alive!"

"Don't worry...it's mind is completely crushed." Yugi assured the mecha pilots while crystal dragon zilla floated into the air and began to form an expanding crystal armor upon it's body, "And apparently...that doesn't mean shit..."

"No...it really doesn't..." Toji agreed as the newly awoken Crystal Zilla charged nuclear pulses upon the five edges of it's crystal shape that converged in it's mouth and unleashed a large spiraling blast. The entire area was ablazed with light that blocked out all view...

* * *

**Command Center**

"Yugi..."

"Kaiba if you start blaming me then I'll just pout."

"Then who should I blame for the long burning trench that stretches over what used to be part of my city?" Kaiba asked while his command crew remained stunned due to the aforementioned smoking crater that stretched from District 16 through 17, 18, 19, 37 and the mountain range beyond the city limits, "This is going on your tab!"

"My wife was at home with the kids..." One bridge bunny frantically said to himself before he tearfully pulled out his phone, "Tia? Hello? Please pick up honey...please pick up!"

"And there's probably thousands more like that poor bunny...thanks Yugi." Kaiba stated while the bridge bunny sobbed on his knees, "GET BACK TO WORK!"

"MY WHOLE FAMILY MIGHT'VE JUST DIED!"

"Gee...as if I don't have problems of my own right now!" Kaiba shouted, "If you're so damned worried about them then why not check the adjacent shelters or search through the scorched grovel until you find them in the bunker that you should have under your house or their charred remains!"

"Yes sir..."

"Anyway Yugi..." Kaiba said to readdress his rival when the screen showed Crystal Zilla reform into it's standard form and stand over it's tiny foe, "Actually, stay right where you are, I'm just going to enjoy the show."

"What show?" Kaiba saw Yugi ask on the viewscreen as the King of Games felt something loom over him, "Oh yeah...Kaiba hates me."

"Wonder how he forgot that?" Kaiba's smirk turned into a furious frown when a scythe-shaped beam slashed through the crystal zilla's back and it was thrown backwards by an unseen force, "You were waiting to ruin something for me...weren't you?"

"The god of death respects no one." Duo Maxwell replied as the entire control deck paled when the Gundam Deathscythe seemed to appear from out of thin air, "Thanks for the opening Yugi!"

"No problem, by the way...is Kaiba pissed?"

"About you not dying? Oh yeah...I can feel his ego's pain from miles away..."

"Not that we're honestly that far...the best part about this is that win or lose, Kaiba's going to have to pay for everything that I do."

"You sure that you want to abuse that priviledge?"

"Oh maliciously...don't tell that you've never done it?"

"Who says that I'm not doing it now!"

"Somehow...I will ensure that they both experience...ALL...Of...MY...HATE!" Kaiba roared and turned back to the stunned bridge bunnies, "WHAT?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Will Yugi and Duo be able to turn the tide against Crystal Dragon Spacegodzilla? Can the team recover and reform to face the remaining threats of the Zilla Pack and the sudden assault of the decepticons? Who is this Cybertronian named Ultranus and why is he in one of the last places that any visitor to Earth would ever want to end up in? Is Roger going crazy? Will Shinji require eye surgery after his eva just fired laser beams from it's eyes? How come Kamina's apparently serious injury tore open here, but it didn't tear open when he fought Cyclopsis on foot?**

**Find out in the next episode of the Zilla War Saga!**

**My lord...this is the hardest sequence of chapters that I've had to ever write for any story...and it is the most miserable process.**

**Seriously, when I look back on all of the stuff that I've written...nothing even comes close to the Zilla Wars. Originally, I intended for them to only be two to three chapters...but instead we won't resolve this conflict until the next chapter...maybe even the chapter after that...**

**Granted, it's fun to read through once I'm actually done...but there's so many battles to have to work with and resolve in a concise, interesting and non-contrived manner. So many characters bouncing off of each other and reacting to their situation...comes with the territory when you have "Loads and Loads of characters", but I'm going to be just as happy as the Rangers when these beasties are finally beaten!**

**Because I won't have to write about them anymore!**

**Another thing was that these chapters just kept getting longer and longer, so I had to shuffle events from one chapter into the next for pacing and to keep things focused. But then that just ensured that the conflict would drag out...hopefully this pays off. For instance, there's a fully written and completed scene that I removed from this chapter and shuffled into the next one. I wanted to put it into 22, but considering everything that's already happening, I think that the scene will fit better into 23.**

**Later.**


	23. Roar IV

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Something interesting finally happened!_

_A pack of bio-engineered godzilla rip-offs invade Angel Groove, leaving a path of carnage and destruction wherever they go! The rangers deploy to stop them, but the city's going through some technical difficulties like:_

_The decepticons launching their own assault while the Rangers and defense force have their hands full._

_Eva Anima running out of power due to decepticon sabotage._

_The fact that these godzilla rip-offs are actually very dangerous and powerful despite being rip-offs._

_Additional trouble from two mechanized godzillas._

_Crystal-Dragon-Spacegodzilla's gravity hacking abilities._

_Each ranger has to pick a target and fight it on their own...except for Heero, Bit, Simon and eventually Roger...and Van...that's fair._

_Shinji makes everyone shit their pants by going berserk and mincing up his Zilla...only to be immediately disabled by Starscream...and having to be saved by a civilian and several gundam pilots...and a cybertronian who wields a very heavy hammer._

_Bit and the Blitz Team battle their Zilla...but Bit decides to steal the spotlight and completely own his Zilla with a new mode for Liger Zero called Sunflower. What? Does it draw power from the sun or something? Is Liger Zero now Superman? Why didn't Bit use this earlier in the series? Is there something that Bit would like to tell us?_

_Roger is completely schooled by mecha-godzilla and should for all purposes lose. But then V shows up inside of Big Duo and uses it to perform a Combo Finisher while Roger hears a dead burn victim tell him things inside of his head. Isn't Roger supposed to be the most sane member of the team? Then why is he hearing voices in his head?_

_Speaking of people needing help, Van sensually combines with Hitomi's gundam and uses it to perform an attack ripped straight out of the most corny yet awesome gundam series ever...and I can't remember it's name...that's how awesome it is..._

_Simon goes through his pussy phase because his mecha-godzilla can absorb spiral power and chew the scenery like an oversized komodo dragon. Oh and Kamina is suffering from an apparent mortal injury from a situation that canonically killed him. Resulting in Simon having to be bailed out by Naota! A boy who Simon absolutely loathes for some reason...jealously? Boys will be boys I guess..._

_Heero teams up with the DF commanding aces to take out their zilla and haven't accomplished this...even though each ace has at least one doomsday device and entire armies on their kill chart...weird..._

_Speaking of weird...Kittan and Mamoru join the fray in their mecha only to serve as additional target practice for Crystal Zilla. At least until Yugi appears and mind rapes the monster...causing it to wipe out several districts and millions of lives...and then Duo waits until the Zilla is about to kill Yugi to actually attack to troll Kaiba...even though Duo couldn't attacked earlier and saved millions of lives..._

_Guess trolling Kaiba is far more important._

* * *

**District 29**

"Karen...you've got five boogies forming up on your 9." Lieutenant Master Pierce Rayer reported as his GM's Beam Rifle successfully shot through the head of a Decepticon protoform in District 45, "Monsha...three from above."

"Take out the west-most guy, I'll shake off the others." The GM Custom Ace boasted while Rayer shot down another flying protoform as he watched the GM shake off his pursuers and waste them with the grace of a pelican falcon, "Piece of cake!"

"Stay alive so you can get that cake." Rayer recommended and had his GM reload the rifle's ammo. Three districts away, three Defense Force Platoons were fighting alongside a Deputized Civilian team called the Dai-Gurren Brigade to ward off an invasion of machines known as decepticons. Fortunately, the skirmish's potential length was heavily reduced when communications were fully restored.

Along with Rayer shooting down an oversized beetle that had to have been their commander.

"Hey Rayer! Turn that scoop around and tell us about the Commander!"

"I'm not turning around-"

"Go ahead! The battle's almost over here anyway." Karen called in while Rayer heard her Gundam stomp on a protoform and shoot out it's head, "I was hoping this would last longer...but it looks like Harvest all over again."

"You and I remember Harvest very differently."

"That's because you're a pessimistic victim."

"I'm a victim? All I've heard you and your friends whine about for the past 36 years was how evil and unfair the Federation is!"

"This coming from you? You always bitch about losing your legs even though it was your own damned fault for being in clear sight of the Apsalus!"

"The fact that your commander was a love-struck deserter didn't help his case."

"The fact that you were a yes-man pawn didn't help keep your legs now did it?"

"At least I'm not stuck with a talentless hippie-"

"Leave Eledore out of this!"

"Hey Karen! You want me to keep taking out your kills or something?" One of the test pilots of a Command Wolf asked while mowing down a line of protoforms fairly easily. Which tends to happen when yoru main weaponry consists of a four-barreled rocket launcher, two eight-barreled vulcan guns, and a standard-issued 50mm AZ double beam cannon, "Am I gonna get that table dance?"

"You know I can hear you?" Eledore asked the pilot who broke out into a sweat, "Yeah...you forgot that I'm a Communications master didn't ya? Once I get this lizard you'll get a table dance alright..."

"Only if I get to join in." Karen replied, "So how's the hunt?"

* * *

**District 15**

"Five beam cannons capable of at least demolishing a capital ship and they can't even roast a single lizard..." Eledore joked from within the hover truck, "Then again...that's a good thing."

"Because anyone of them alone would wipe out the whole district?" Michael asked, regretting that he took Kiki's spot in the tracker this time around, "Speaking of which...heard anything about our friend?"

"He's staying quiet...too quiet..." Eledore answered, his uncaring expression exchanged for a focused and cautious mask created from years of service...and hardened by the Unicorn's Charge, "Not even a heartbeat...the sound of dirt burning...he's gone dark."

"You're looking for the wrong signature." Heero commented over the comm, "Search for vibrations...specifically those made by contact with reptillian scales."

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?"

"You have until I obliterate the whole district to find out."

"That's a good one Mr. Yuy!" Michael laughed while Eledore's focus increased, "Ain't that right Eledore? There's no way that he'd blow up the district! That would kill everyone here-"

"Which is why I need you to put on your earphones and HELP ME FIND THIS SON OF A BITCH!"

"Lizards hatch from eggs and I think this guy was bio-engineered-"

"JUST HELP ME FIND THE GIANT NUCLEAR LIZARD!"

"Alright..." Michael agreed, deciding to air on the side of caution and question Heero's joke later. Right now, Michael and Eledore became mute themselves while listening for any sound that came from underneath them...

Apart from the hum of the Blue Marine...

Or the constant reaction within the Fusion cores of the Z and ZZ Gundams...

The heavy steps of the Commander's suit...

Or the ultrasonic patterns of Gundam Wing...

Then they heard something large inhale.

"Gotcha..." Eledore smirked and typed away to pass the discovered signature of the beast to the others and dropped his serious expression fairly quickly, "You might want to take those off Michael."

"You found it-" Michael was cut off when numerous frequencies flared through the sonar surveillance equipment and caused Michael to yelp and throw down his earphones, "SHIT! Why didn't you warn me?"

"I did...you didn't listen." Eledore replied just as the Zilla was thrown out of the underground in a furious explosion, "I think that we're done here..."

"Smile Mr. Lizard!" Shiro shouted while the EZ-8 unleased a furious and accurate alpha strike from all of it's weapons. The sheer amount of firepower shaved off large patches of scales from the creature's exterior until a payload of missiles impacted it's spine and left it vulnerable to the beams of Z and ZZ's Hyper Beam Cannons.

"Objective in sight..." A few seconds later, Wing Gundam could be seen thrusting it's shield into the weakened beast's chest just as it fired a desperate Atomic Ray that seared through the district and took a part of the Gundam's wing with it. Unconcerned, Wing Gundam drew it's beam saber and quickly slashed open the exposed chest of the best and unloaded the content of it's vulcan cannons to carve out the beast's ribcage.

Effectively repainting it's front armor crimson and reducing the entire interior of the beast's chest cavity down to the consistency of Taco sauce.

"Is it dead yet?" Kamille asked with sarcasm while Wing Gundam continued to fire it's vulcan cannons into the carved open lizard, "Really...I think it's dead."

"If you think it's dead then there's doubt that it is dead." Heero replied as Wing Gundam continued it's "full-metal" scan, "Now for the brain..."

"I thought you only had to take out the core in it's chest?"

"Eliminate all obstacles..."

"But it's dead-"

"Exactly and there's one more still alive...it's body could be salvaged to strengthen the others." Heero answered Shiro and briefly stopped to reload, "As I said: Eliminate. All. Obstacles."

* * *

**District 13**

A hail of hyper-charged plasma bullets flew in one direction and a ray of energy fire arrived from the other side of the road.

If one were to ask who was winning between Megas and MechaZilla, it would be a coin toss. Even the combatants themselves weren't even sure if any of their ammunition was hitting the other mecha.

"I don't think we've hit him yet."

"But he's just standing there!" Coop shouted while Megas unleashed a blast from the shoulder mounted cannon that he'd made from the wreckage of a demolition truck and watched the mechanized lizard tank the assault and yawn, "NAOTA! SIMON!"

"GOT IT!" Kanti flared into a furious form that condensed into a flaming guitar which Gurren Lagann grabbed and used to bludgeon the mechanized zilla across it's chest. The beast cried out as it flew backwards and fired various rockets and lasers which were easily warded or dodged by the Gattai Mecha wielding a guitar.

"Hey...can you pull anything out of your head?"

"Hurts like hell, but yeah...why?"

"Why don't you pull a bigger robot out of your head-"

"What part of it "hurts like hell" did you miss?"

"How about a giant gun to shot him with?"

"My robot can make that by himself." Naota explained and grunted when Kanti's form shifted into a long-shafted cannon that latched onto Gurren Lagann's crotch, "NO! NOT THERE! LATCH ONTO HIS ARM!"

"Why's this so bad?" Simon asked while the Kanti Cannon fired a pullet that exploded onto the mecha lizard's exterior, "See! I think we really hurt it!"

"Nice shot!" Coop complemented while Kiva sat with her face buried in her palm and Jamie was laughing hysterically, "Did I miss the joke?"

"It's...indecent..."

"What? Kanti just latched onto Gurren Lagann to draw from it's spiral power stuff and then fires a really strong bullet that can break through anything. What's so bad about that?"

"Just look at it...Coop..." To Kiva's feigned surprise, Coop didn't understand at all, "Nevermind..." She then signed as Megas kneed Mecha Zilla in the stomach and held it in place for another shot from Gurren Lagann to nearly knock it's head from between it's shoulders.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" Mechazilla shouted in offense while throwing Megas onto it's back and kicking it towards Gurren Lagann, "I'M GOING TO RIP THAT CANNON OFF OF YOUR HIPS AND SHOVE IT UP ALL OF YOUR RECTEM!"

"You mean ass?"

"YEAH! THAT TOO!"

"Nah...I think I'll shove you up my cannon..." Coop cut in before slamming the barrel of a fold-out cannon onto the mechanized lizard and shooting off it's head, "Couldn't quite fit it in...but we'll try next time..."

"There won't be a next time!" Mechazilla declared and stabbed it's drilling tail through Megas' leg and shot it into a wrecked bank, "Forget the cannon...I HAVE A TAIL!"

"You mean had a tail." Naota corrected as Gurren Lagann slashed through the mecha's tail and held the removed piece in it's other arm, "Hey Coop...I've got an idea..."

"Spill it bro!"

"Hey Simon? Wanna try out a new finishing move?"

"Finishing move?" The mecha zilla inquired as it regenerated it's head and watched Gurren Lagann form it's own tail-bit into it's arm, "No..."

"MEGA..." Gurren Lagann jumped onto an open latch in Megas' chest while the drill spontaneously enlarged itself.

"GIGAAAA..." The Drill grew larger while Megas grew drills of it's own.

"ATOM..." The drills then took on a dark crimson flame that flared with the winds of awesomness.

"DRIILLLL...BREEAAAKK-"

"I give up." The Gattai Gunman tilted it's head while looking upon the surrendering mechanized lizard, "I give up!"

"So?"

"I don't want to die." Mecha Zilla replied, "Please don't kill me..."

"Okay." Simon agreed and cancelled the ultimate finisher to Coop and Naota's silent disapproval, "But you're not lying or anything right?"

"No...in fact, I'm a good guy from now on!" Mecha Zilla declared and grabbed a fallen empty GM to crush it and attach a piece of it's shield to it's head, "From now on...I'm...DRAGONZORD!"

"I say kill it."

"No! We're not gonna kill someone who surrendered!"

"Your aniki would probably murder the poor bastard in cold blood."

"But I'm not my aniki and..." Realizing that he had no real counter for Naota's comment, Simon turned his attention back to "Dragonzord", "Are you sure that you're a good guy now? Cause if you're lying, I'll have to kill you...and my aniki will join in."

"That's reasonable..."

"Then we'll give Optimus your face."

* * *

**District 49**

"Once again, I owe you my gratitude V." Roger stated to the masked man who was standing next to him, "Thank you."

"The duality of our fates will not clash yet...until then, I shall assist as I may." V replied while they stood in front of their heavily damaged megadues' and overlooked the totaled wreckage of the mechanical dragon that their combined strength had torn asunder, "Alas how the titans of power fall to mere mortal men."

"What are you talking about? We used titans ourselves didn't we?"

"You do not think of your machine as a tool?"

"He's a partner, a friend." Roger looked up at Big O's face and nodded to it though it was incapable of returning the gesture, "I couldn't protect my family without him..."

"And without you, he is but an articulate assembly of metal and wheels." V observed with a sign, "Inevitably you will ask whether or not I was the one who brought the Flying mechanism into your city...no?"

"You're right...but I'm not too worried now." The laugh of a burnt man echoed through Roger's mind despite his attempts to ease his doubts about V, "I'm just surprised that it's still around...or that it hasn't killed you."

"It...resisted my initial entry and the process...scarred me..." Roger dared guess that this resistance was the reason why V wore his mask, "But this same scar imprinted it's knowledge into my soul and I was proven...worthy of becoming his partner."

"What about the crash landing?"

"As I mentioned before, my experience in piloting machines remains starkly limited." V reminded the Negotiator, "And...none of my friends can hope to remedy my deficiency..."

"I could help with that." Roger offered cordially, "For a reasonable fee of course."

"A tutor?"

"I guess, what harm could it have?" Roger heard a ringtone in Big O's cockpit and recognized it as being the team's call-sign, "I'll be right back."

"Do what you must, I will be right here."

"Okay..." Roger used his grappling hook to climb to Big O's cockpit and opened the comm channel, "Roger Smith, who is this?"

"Roger?" A battered Simon asked from the other end of the line, "Roger! Are you okay? I lost your signal for a second..."

"I'm fine Simon, thanks for asking. Are you alright?"

"Bro's asleep and my gunman's hit, but we're okay!" Simon shouted and then shrugged his shoulders in deflated defeat, "Thanks to Naota..."

"Naota? That kid with the guitar?"

"Coop too..."

"That's good news..." Simon grumbled while Roger smirked, "I can tell that you've got a history with Naota. But right now, he just helped you protect the city and saved your life. Shouldn't be grateful to be alive?"

"I know...it's just..."

"Everyone needs help once in a while Simon. Hell, I just got help from a guy who quotes Shakespeare-"

"V's over there! Scoot over!" Roger became perplexed to see Simon wrestling with a teen in a blue sweatshirt, "I didn't know that he had a mecha!"

"This is my comm! Get your own!"

"We're in part of my mecha so it's my comm!"

"Wait...the three of you...combined?" Roger asked while Simon and Naota continued to wrestle and a fat blond man took over the comm from his cockpit...or driver's seat to be more accurate, "You're Coop?"

"Hey! You're the guy with the piston-arm mecha! It's all old-school, but still awesome-" Coop suddenly had a frost bite from the mega-slush that he was drinking and was jolted back into focus, "Anyway...need anything else to smash?"

"No...thanks for helping Simon with his target-"

"TARGET! I'M ON YOUR SIDE REMEMBER!" Roger heard a voice boom through the comm, "OH...Sorry about that...I'M NOT USED TO THIS!"

"Who is that?"

"Dragonzord," Simon and Naota answered at the same time, "He changed sides..."

"You're going to have to tell me the whole story..." Roger requested, "It sounds like you've got the makings of a negotiator yourself..."

* * *

**District 16**

"I summon the Black Luster Paladin!" Yugi declared as a giant-sized image of the Duel Monster's card appeared in front of Yugi and slashed it's long sword through Crystal Zilla's chest and only left a minor scratch, "Huh...that's usually a one-hit wonder."

"This isn't a card game man-"

"Everything is a card game Duo!" Yugi shouted at Deathscythe as the Paladin's glaive was lifted from it's hands and thrown to stab through the face of King Kittan, "A card game that must be won!"

"Oh lord...this is our cavalry..."

"Actually that was my job." Duo clarified to Aoi while dodging a blast from the Zilla's mouth and entering stealth mode once more, "I just couldn't resist pissing off Kaiba."

"What do you have against him?"

"Nothing! It was just hilarious!"

"You think this is a game! Not cool!" Toji barked when he saw the ground lift under Crystal Godzilla and then fragment into crystal covered debris that showered it's visible and invisible opponents. Unit 03 particularly had it's leg cut off by Duo's scythe, "MY LEG!"

"Sorry about that..." Duo apologized as Deathscythe appeared into view and fired it's Buster Shields into the direction of the lizard. Both shields slashed off the crystal formations on the creature's shoulders before they were stopped behind the creature and levitated to it's sides, "Here, I'll make it up to you guys."

"By letting it throw those shields back at us?

"No...fireworks!" Duo cried while the buster shields detonated and sent shards of glowing metal into the creature's hide while it roared in pain, "That'll give us some time!"

"And I'll add even more! SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!" Yugi shouted while several blades of light appeared in the sky and struck the ground around Crystal Zilla, "Now he won't be able to attack for three turns!"

"How long is that?"

"For Yugioh...anywhere from ten seconds to five minutes..." Vega answered, "But if we're using D+D standards...six seconds...and the Black Luster Paladin is a banned card."

"Which is why I love it! I stopped carrying about Tournament Bans when they said Monster Reborn was broken!" Yugi shouted while his Millenium puzzle glowed after he drew a card, "Excellent! I activate Polymerization!"

"What are you fusing together?"

"ALL OF US! Final Fusion...AUTHORIZED!"

* * *

**Command Center**

"Please tell me that he's not doing what I think he's doing?"

"He's using the power of the Millenium Puzzle to activate Polymerization to fuse all of the mecha engaging Crystal Zilla into a single fusion mecha-"

"That's the exact opposite of what I WANTED!" Seto shouted at the oblivious bridge bunny, "You must be new...where's Diana?"

"Eaten alive by a Zilla..."

"And you are?"

"The new intern, Miriallia Haw." The girl replied, "I'm working on my Reporting Masters and entered your program."

"How did your parents die?"

"Russians dropped a bridge on them during Second Sun."

"Sucks...a giant albino demi-god dropped a truck on my parents." Seto confessed, "Though I'm pretty sure that they were dead before the truck ever crushed them-"

"YOU TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SLEEPING!"

"You actually believed me Mokuba?" The sound of Mokuba's crying drowned out the intercom, "I guess it's a bad time to confess that our real mother died giving birth to you-"

"YOU THINK?" Kiyal shouted back over the comm, "It's alright Mokuba...I'm here..."

"Why is Seto so mean?"

"Because when you have a city with your name on it, you can do whatever you want!" Seto laughed into the comm, "So are you going to use the puppy-dog card on your girlfriend? You did buy a condom right?"

"Seto...she's not-"

"You poor child...you didn't buy a condom..."

"What's a condom?"

"SHUT UP SETO!"

"Glad that cheered him." Seto remarked while the viewscreen displayed a series of events that ruined Kaiba's fragile good mood, "But this is going to piss me off...isn't it?"

* * *

**District 16**

"The hell's going on?" Toji asked as he and the others found themselves in a spiralling orb of green and gold energy, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

"It's time...GaiGar..." Mamoru muttered while Gaogaigar began to glow, "The Genestic Gao..."

"Eva 03..." Unit 03's AT field adopted a similar golden glow while Mamoru called out, "It's...ProtectGao!"

"What does that mean exactly?"

"King Kittan..." Mamoru continued, ignoring Yugi's question, "SpiralGao!"

"Deathscythe is...BrokenGao!"

"Deathscythe ain't broken..."

"Nirvash...StraightGao!"

"What does that mean?"

"And the Fuhrer is...GadgetGao!"

"What the hell does any of that mean?" Yugi demanded from on top of his duel monster, "ANSWER ME LITTLE LION-BOY!"

"WHO CARES?" Kittan shouted with **epic** invigoration, "POLY-MILLENIUM FUSION!"

E-3's armor glowed as it placed it's arms upon it's chest and it's pylons lowered along it's back, allowing GaoGaiGar to form onto it's upper body. The Eva pulled it's arms out to it's side to reveal Golden claws formed upon it's forearms.

Berserk Fuhrer and Nirvash both formed onto E-3's arms with the Zoid upon the right arm and the LFO upon the left arm.

King Kittan spun around E-3 before it flared into green and gold fire that surrounded E-3's upper legs and torso. When the flames were gone, a large grinning star could be seen grinning forward.

Death Scythe placed it's feet upon the Eva's lowered Pauldrons and closed it's enlarging wings before forming upon it's back and granting E-3 Black bladed shoulders.

Lastly, the Black Luster Paladin knelt before the mecha and yielded it's glaive, it's armor and it's helm before vanishing. The greaves appeared upon the mecha's legs where they took on a Black and Gold appearance just as the helm did when it slammed onto E-3's head and grew a great golden mane. The glaive transformed and gained an additional scythe blade upon it's shaft that clipped onto the mecha's right shoulder even as Nirvash's combined surfboard latched onto the left shoulder.

It's birth complete, the energy that protected it was absorbed into roaring lion head upon it's chest that regrew it's own main while a millenium eye appeared upon the mecha's forehead.

_Blessed and Cursed by Heaven and Hell..._

_Bearing the wings of Death and Barrier of Souls..._

_One with the wind and the particles of matter..._

_The Star of Might...The Lion of Bravery..._

"MECHA KING!" The Fused pilots of the newborn destroyer declared while it's claws were charged with sheer raw power, "MEECCCCHHHAAA...WRECKA...GGGAAAAARR!"

* * *

**Command Center**

"Sir..."

"Big deal." Kaiba shrugged as the rest of the Command Crew was stunned with utter shock and amazement from the sheer power that Mecha King Mecha Wrecka Gar emitted on every scope and piece of sensor equipment, "What is it going to do? Punch a hole in reality?"

* * *

**District 16**

"AHHH!" Sheer rage and passion etched into it's pilots voices, Mecha Wrecka Gar's arm pulled back while glowing golden energy focused around it's spinning forearm, BRROOOOKKKKEEEEENNNN MAGGGGNUM!" Punching forward, Mecha Wrecka's forearm was launched out like a speeding bullet towards Crystal Zilla while lifting up the ground over which it sped.

The forearm disappeared as soon as it struck the creature and reappeared out of a spatial hole that opened and allowed it to strike through the creature's shoulder before going through another spatial rip. The process repeated three times before the creature was left with four sizable holes in it's body with several charged particle trails crossing in and out of those same holes. The trails pulled open the holes upon the creature and compressed them into an orb of rapidly degrading energy that evaporated all matter within ten meters.

The orb was cracked and broken by a desperate nuclear pulse and revealed a heavily scared and rapidly regenerating Crystal Zilla. The creature threw out multiple crystal shards that embedded themselves in the ground that remained around it and charged a powerful beam in it's mouth. The shards provided more power to their summoner before it enlarged it's crystal armor once more and fired upon it's adversary.

"PROTEECCCTTT SHAAADDDEEEE!" Just as it's right forearm returned to it's place, Mecha Wrecka Gar threw out it's left arm to produce a spinning Star-shaped Shield that diverted the attack along a large wall that spanned the entire length of the northern section of the district. Stunned that it had been halted, the creature roared at it's foe as Mecha Wrecka roared back with enough force to lift the ground around Crystal Godzilla.

"You...Crystal Dragon Thing..." Mecha Wrecka Gar's pilots said with intense rage and hot blooded fury, "I will...CERTAINLY...WASTE AND DESTROY...YOUU!" The mecha pointed a single clawed finger at it's foe as all of the ground and debris between the two combatants rose and disintegrated from the intensity of Mecha Wrecka Gar's overpowering presence.

* * *

**Command Center**

As the mission control erupted into loud praise and applause, Kaiba continued to stare in silent rage...

* * *

**Command Hanger**

"The Major is secured! Open the hatch!" On the orders of the technician crew, several mechanics proceeded to weld open the emergency hatch of the removed pilot capsule as several crews began to repair the heavily damaged Eva Anima, "Hatch open!"

"Extract the major and precious cargo!" As Misato entered the hanger through an elevator, a heavily bleeding Shinji was carefully removed from the capsule and set upon the adjacent catwalk with Hikari being pulled out shortly afterwards, "Extraction complete! Lock Down Anima and move the major to Intensive Care immediately!"

"Is he going to be alright?"

"Not gonna lie...I've seen worst." The Tech supervisor assured the class representative, "But he's lost a lot of blood from that berserk mode and from practically dying after Rexzilla got the drop on him...BECAUSE SOMEONE FORGOT TO RECHARGE ANIMA'S BATTERIES!"

"I swear...I...charged them..." Briefs muttered, "I just...don't remember...when I...did..."

"You idiot...THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LOGS!" The supervisor roared while pointing to Shinji, "Now the major's screwed over and the whole city along with it!"

"Maybe not..." Misato spoke while stepping closer to Shinji, "Hey...how are you holding up?"

"Could be better..." Shinji managed as he flexed his hand, "Is Hikari alright? What about...the people in the shelter?"

"I'm right here Shinji..." Hikari softly answered, placing her hand into his to calm him, "Thank you, you saved us again..."

"You had to save me though..."

"Everyone needs saving once in a while," Misato said while Shinji inhaled, "Knock him out..."

"What but-"

"In his condition...he's better off unconscious..." Misato stated before she quickly chopped into Shinji's neck and instantly knocked him out, "That'll make it easier for you to operate on him..."

"Thank you Miss Misato..." Hikari said with a bow, "But...what are you doing here?"

"The only other person who knows how to handle Eva is in Mission Control, so I'm here to oversee Anima's repairs." Misato answered as Hikari frowned, "Oh great...spit it out..."

"You're going to send Shinji back out there?"

"It's not my call, it's Kaiba's eva remember?" Misato pointed out while looking at the state of Anima's recently generated replacement arm, "Even so...your city isn't doing so well right now. If it were up to me...then I'd send him back out as soon as he was stable along with Anima."

"It's a good thing that it's not up to you..." The nearby technicians all saluted when Aina entered the hanger with her pilot suit covered in a blue glowing liquid, "What the hell are you doing here? Between the rexzillas...the mecha zillas...the crystal dragon zillas...and the decepticons...I'm not in the mood to deal with Nerv politics. Until an Angel shows up on our doorstep, you have no authority here..."

"I'm just here to oversee that Anima is properly refueled." Misato replied while scoffing at Aina's continuing silent scorn, "Look...I heard about the Commander's previous visit. As I've said to the rest of your Defense Force officers, his attitude is no reflection on the organization or it's goal. There are good people in our fold and we just do what we must to protect the world. Is one man's attitude enough to condemn everyone else?"

"With respect colonel that's what they said during the second World War."

"Hikari?"

"My great-grandma...still remembers...she was about my age when they came for her." Hikari replied, "The Nazi party was just one part of Germany at the time. Proud, arrogant, racist monsters who wanted to remake all of Europe in their name. But there were good germans, good decent people who had nothing to do with what the Nazis had done."

"Those good people were NOT the ones who just watched! They didn't follow orders, they didn't march in support, they didn't join in the war effort, they didn't brush off their leader as not representing them and moving on, they didn't say that the Nazis who murdered millions weren't them and went on with their lives, they didn't stand by and watch the SS take away entire families to be broken down into a bio-paste for the war effort."

"Those good people stood up to what was wrong! A family of individuals tried to hide my great-grandma's family and did so at great personal risk...they were good people. The man who rescued her and other young girls from the death camp that would have claimed her life? He was a good person. The ones who participated in Operation Valkyrie and took responsibility for it's aftermath despite their justification?"

"The plan was too simple to fail, what did you expect?"

"NO. THEY. DIDN'T!" "How can you just stand there and say that you had nothing to with Gendo's actions when you're playing right into his plan-"

"Oh no...I know where this is going...so what is this all about? You really want to go there little girl?" Misato asked while the lid on her own patience with this crazy city was slipping, "I'm trying to help you defend your city from a clear and present threat and all you can do is bark at me about poor Shinji!"

"Do you see how he is right now? He's in this condition because of that THING!" Hikari cried out while pointing to Anima, "I'd like to know if this organization, run by a man who treats his own son as a puppet, is indeed trustworthy if it is too willing to turn a blind eye to this mistreatment of it's key pilots."

"Oh fuck this shit!" Misato shouted with a hand on her forehead, "I've about had it with you self-righteous idiots! Fine! You've opened the box! WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"I. want. THE TRUTH!"

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" Misato yelled back, "Child, we live in a world that is warded off by walls and every day, there's someone who wants to get over that wall. So we have to set up watchmen to protect the walls, and protect humanity that lives behind that wall. Whose going to protect it? Whose gonna do it? You? You, Horaki Hikari? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly imagine! I have to make decisions where no matter what I do, someone is going to suffer...and even die. You weep for Asuka Sohryu...you pity Ayanami Rei...you weep for Suzahara Toji...you mourn the suffering that Ikari Shinji endures and you curse Nerv. Curse Nerv for being uncaring bastards who would sell their own mothers for enough change to buy a soda."

"Good, you have that blessing. You have the blessing of not knowing what I know. That Shinji's suffering...as horrible, cruel and senseless it may be...that our methods, as heartless and uncaring as they may be...save. lives. On my office wall, I have the names of seven angels that the pilots have suffered to defeat and destroy and with each angel destroyed, humanity is spared from armaggeddon. So do the math! As grotesque and horrific as our existence is, Nerv has AVERTED THE END OF MANKIND, SEVEN TIMES! You don't want to hear that though. You don't want to hear the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about with your school mates, you want us on that wall! YOU NEED US ON THAT WALL! SEPARATE FROM THE MASSES SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES WITHOUT EVER KNOWING THE REAL MEANING OF SACRIFICE! We use words like sacrifice, duty, pain, suffering, victory and defeat. We use those words as part of a life where one misstep will lead to the death of every living being on the planet; you use them as cheap punchlines!"

"You think that you know pain? You think that you know right from wrong? Maybe you do. But that's not what matters! The fact is that we've made our decisions because they have to be made. When people cry for a miracle...when they cry for salvation, they're really crying because they want organizations like Nerv! People who are willing to swallow the pills of unending guilt and make the decisions that no one else can make...the decisions that need to be made. Have you ever held a gun? I bet if you ever held one, you wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done. It's a classic dilemna, you don't want to die, but you don't know how to take a life. Me? I know exactly what my gun is for and I'll use to because that's how life works. Nothing is achieved without sacrifice, the peace and stability that humankind has now? It's built on a mass grave of billions! Even if you counted out the innocent bystanders or civilian deaths...it wouldn't leave a dent...because it had to be done."

"I have neither the time nor the inclination to be judged by a little girl and a group of freelance pilots working for an egotistical asshole with a dragon fetish who rise and sleep under the blankets of the life and existence that we have assured seven times and then dares to condemn me for the methods with which they were provided! I would rather you just said, "Thank you." and went on your way or just simplify it with a "Fuck you.", so that I can add you to my prayer list. Otherwise, I suggest you find billions of dollars lying around, build your own Eva, pick up a weapon and stand a post! Either way...I don't give a DAMN WHAT YOU THINK OF ME AND MY ORGANIZATION!"

"And right now..." Misato continued in a more subdued tone while Hikari stared down with tearful eyes, "Whether you're aware of it or not, you need Shinji to make one of those decisions. Heartless and cruel as it may be, your city and your friends need Evangelion Unit 01 and the only person who can pilot that monster is Ikari Shinji! So really...us arguing isn't going to do any good."

"Colonel?" Hikari muttered, "Did you even believe what you said?"

"YOU'RE GODDAMNED RIGHT I DO!" Misato shouted while the girl shook in place, "But it doesn't mean that I like it...so I'm going to make the hard choice...the right one. What do you think Shinji would want to do?"

"What he wants doesn't matter, he can't go out." Aina pointed out while medics were already on the spot attempting to stabilize Shinji's condition, "He's lost too much blood, if he gets into Eva now then his heart will give out in 30 seconds. He needs a transfusion."

"Shit...either way, he won't live without one." Misato muttered while holding out her arm, "Take my blood!"

"Take mine!" Hikari followed as one of the medic's shook her head, "What? Me and Shinji have the same blood type! Why can't you take any-"

"It's not that simple..." Nurse Joy said in exasperation, "I was told to keep this classified, but I think the two of you will be acceptable."

"Damn it...Ritsuko was right then..." Misato muttered to herself, "Eva's augmented Shinji's DNA, hasn't it?"

"Yeah...I'm not sure how it happened," Joy answered as Aina just observed Misato closely, "We've theorized that this started when Deathwing tore apart the original Unit 01. The Eva projected some sort of internal AT field over Shinji's injuries and when that happened molecules from the AT Field entered Shinji's bloodstream to halt blood flow to his wounds until the battle was over. That's how Shinji survived at all on that day, if not for that field then he would have bled out before the fight even finished.

"But it left Shinji's DNA altered by the Eva." Misato stated, "Where can we find a donor-"

"Nowhere I could think of." The Nurse answered, "We could try taking some of Shinji's DNA and synthesizing into usable blood...but I don't if he'd survive until then."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Hikari asked with growing desperation, "Please...help him..."

"There's nothing that I can do," Misato replied sadly as an idea came to her mind, "Who else has piloted Eva?"

"I did...but I don't know my blood would've been augmented at all-"

"Before today." Misato corrected, "Maya said that Anima has been deployed at least once before it was fully completed and sustained heavy damage against something called Cyclopsis. It was also suffering from start-up trouble, failure of the synchonization safety features, Emergency Pain Suppression, Communication Line, and the Defense Recognition system of the AT Field. Right?"

"About accurate." A technician answered while biting a candy cane, "You want to know how we got it started, don't you?"

"You had another pilot." Misato deduced, "Someone who managed start-up Anima and synchronize with Anima in it's unfinished state which would be where a less potent inner AT field would be deployed to protect Shinji and the pilot if they were injured. Right?"

"Just get to the point before the girl's boyfriend bleeds to death."

"Whoever that pilot was, bring them here."

"So you can have that pilot transfuse their blood to Shinji's?" Aina correctly guessed, "Until then, transfer Shinji to Emergency Care and stabilize him until we find can get the other pilot to him."

"But what about dad-"

"Niata...if we're going to defuse this situation then we need to solve things one step at a time." Aina told her daughter who quickly complied while helping Shinji onto a stretcher, "Noriko...escort Miss Horaki to Emergency Care as well."

"Yes ma'am."

"What is the common malfunction around here?

"Malfunction? Deciding not to send a heavily injured child into combat is a malfunction of decision making?"

"No...but I feel like everyone here hates me..." Misato spat more with regret than anger, "Ever since I met your husband and his friends I've been given glares left and right from people that I've never met! Maybe you don't like what NERV does, but even you of all people can appreciate the simple truth that anything worth having takes sacrifice! You're veterans of the Universal Wars for god's sake! All sides of those wars did shit that was worst than recruiting children out of pride and spit! You turned colonies into death weapons or dropped them onto earth as improvised missiles! Not to mention the mass slaughter of civilians and the genocide of various unaligned alien species-"

"Alright...shut up!" Aina stated with authority, "I can't believe what you are doing. You're really going to compare my husband and the veterans of the Universal Wars...The One-Year War...The Stardust Skirmish...The Gryps Conflict...The Neo-Zeon Wars...Char's Counterattack...you really want to compare my husband to the likes of Gihren Zabi? You're right though...Zeon did drop colonies on the earth...the Federation did commit mass murder against suspected zeon sympathizers without evidence or trial...Amuro Ray was the same age as Shinji when he piloted his Gundam. Yes, close to a billion people in total were killed during those wars and I regret each and everyone of them! And before you bring it up, yes I helped create a weapon of mass destruction as a member of Zeon! The blood that Zeon shed during the war is also on my hands and after more than thirty years since leaving I can still smell the filth from my part in my brother's sins!"

"But there's a key difference between what happened during that conflict and the supposed "wall" that Nerv is supposed to be. Amuro had a choice...he chose to pilot the gundam to save his home colony filled with people that he knew and loved of his own free will. After that, as a civilian...he could've left. But he didn't! He enlisted in the Federation and went on to become one of the greatest heroes that humanity will ever know! The Zabi's were bastards and the Federation wasn't much better, but at least they were honest about it! At least Gihren was able to admit that he was Adolf Hitler reincarnated! At least Kycillia would've stood trial for murdering her brother even though Gihren himself was guilty of treason in the form of patricide! The Federation had corruption too, but at least the people who joined them like Kamille, Shiro, Kou, Judau, and Amuro...at least they knew what they were fighting for! They weren't emotionally blackmailed with some bullshit about protecting humanity or the responsibility of being human! They signed up! They knew the hell that they were going into long before they even stepped into their gundams!"

"But Shinji didn't have that choice did he? Apparently, his dad just tossed him to the side when he was four and then waited ten years to call Shinji home. Was it to patch old feelings or to make peace with the past? No! Your commander called Shinji over just for the sheer purpose of piloting a bio-mechanical demon that will physically and psychologically damage him in ways that can never be healed! When he said no...you made up this self-righteous postering about how he must face his fears or he's just running away! Running away from what? A bastard father whose real agenda is something that no one in your whole organization knows? Gihren wouldn't have trusted that bastard! Then when guilt-tripping him doesn't work, you decide to coerce him further by threatening to place someone else into the Eva...a girl whose no older than he is who was in critical condition and would've died if she was in that monster for more than thirty seconds!"

"How did you know about Rei-"

"But that's not the worst of it! Shinji isn't the only one is he? Apparently, your organization has branches with children just like Shinji. What was that German Girl's name? Asuka! Oh yeah! The girl who you raised to do nothing but pilot an Eva! No wonder she's such a bitch...not taking my word for it? Ask Luxembourg about how well NERV prepared the "Red Baroness" to be the best Eva pilot in the world! Nevermind! Luxembourg is now a free area shared between Britannia and Germany now isn't it? So much for Eva being on the wall to protect humanity! Then there's Toji? And some girl named Mari? Then we have Rei! Rei who was raised as the Commander's personal doll and who neglects and treats as though he could just clone her if she died! Even on the off chance that he does, who the hell is that man to treat a human being as his personal doll?"

"As far as I'm concerned, that's the worst thing about this situation. You force these children to become soldiers, take away any incentive to question their environment and make yourself feel better by saying that it's for the greater good of humanity! In that case...then how come someone else couldn't pilot the Eva? Why did the Commander design Unit 01 so that only one child could pilot it? Simple! Because he'd made up his own mind on what to do with Shinji's future before that demon was even completed! But don't think that you're off the hook Colonel! Because despite your authority and how you supposedly regret putting Shinji into these situations...you continue to do it! You just excuse yourself and keep doing something that deep down you know is wrong! You're an accomplice and a high-ranking one at that! Which means that you're just as guilty as your superiors! Have you ever questioned their methods or at the ever least attempt to ascertain whether or not NERV truly as humanity's best interest at heart? No! You just followed orders and left the burden upon these children!"

"Why? Because some part of you is okay with treating children as dolls. Living, jacked-up and tormented dolls that you can dress up and play your little games with..." Aina finished before she grabbed Misato's collar and held the colonel's face up to her own, "Take it from someone who was a doll...no matter how you spin it, it's not right."

"Were a doll? Could've fooled me-"

"I've heard enough young lady." Aina stated before slapping the NERV colonel hard enough to send her to the floor of the catwalk, "Call me a doll again and I'll make sure that your replacement limbs are all plastic! Then we'll see who the real doll is!"

"Everywhere I go...someone is fighting someone else..." A familiar voice that Misato was both angry and happy to hear yawned, "Feel free to continue your cat fight ladies, I'll just stand back here with a camera."

"Kaji?" Misato and Aina said at the same time before turning to each other, "How do you know Kaji?"

"Since Gendo's not here...Misato, I'm an off-duty para-military member of Londo Bell hence how Aina knows me." Ryoji Kaji explained to the DF Lieutenant, "Aina, this is my ex...though I'd happily change that if possible-"

"I'm not your penny whore!"

"When did you start charging for sex?" Misato's face turned a deep red as Aina wisely decided to let the situation resolve itself between this newcomer and the Nerv Colonel, "Oh yeah! You charged one paper assignment for every position that we changed in one setting! Let's see that means...so that's why I can write so well-"

"This. Is. Not. The. Time!" Misato shouted while grabbing her face and violently shaking, "Of...of all of the...I...out of everyone one...who could've...ended up in this...place...of everyone who I could've met...why in God's name did you have to show up?"

"If it makes you feel any better, meeting you here is a pleasant surprise." Kaji assured with a smile while placing his hands on Misato's shoulders and feeling steam rise from the skin which he touched, "I was actually on my way to Ontario and then my plane made a forced landing...I got put on another plane...then that plane went somewhere and picked up a popular passenger...and then we got crippled by a group of terrorists who wanted to kill this popular passenger."

"Who'd you pick up? The Queen of England?"

"The Prince of Britannia, actually." Kaji answered as the eyes of everyone in the hanger grew wide with shock, "Specifically...the Black Prince...was Lelouch his name?"

"Kaji...please tell me that you at least have a beer?"

"You like root beer too?" As Kaji held the can of A+W root beer in front of his ex-girlfriend's face, Misato's eyes rapidly blinked before she frantically screamed and cried into Kaji's chest, "I know...I'm glad to see you too."

"Or she just snapped?"

"Probably..." Kaji agreed with a nearby technician while draining the root beer himself, "No point in wasting a good beer. There...there...everything's going to be alright."

* * *

******Command Medical Ward**

"Get me an IV now!"

"Blood pressure dropping! Stabilize him!"

"Pulse decreasing! Do something!"

"Sorry...no non-medical personnel allowed beyond this point." A nurse said to a shaking Noriko while the team of medics wheeled Shinji through the doors of the intensive surgery room, "If things go south...is there anyone we can contact?"

"No one...except...Simon and...the Gurren Crew..." Hikari replied in depressed defeat while Noriko pulled her into a hug, "Thanks..."

"You were there for me...I'm here for you." Noriko replied while the nurse turned to leave, "Hold on...Major Shinji needs a blood transfusion and there's only one person who can save him. If Nia comes by, bring her here."

"Understood ma'am..."

"Now get in there and save her man!" Noriko commanded while the nurse nodded and entered the room, "How are you?"

"Me? I'm tired...exhausted...stressed...strained...drained. .." Hikari answered and suddenly grabbed her shoulders when they twitched uncontrollably, "I felt his pain Noriko...I felt..."

"Hey...it's over now-" Noriko's assurance was put to a rude end when a pulse of energy slammed into her lower chest and launched her down the hall.

"That's for punching an officer...fleshling..." The blond woman in a patient's gown fired another pulse of energy down the hall where it exploded on the spot where Noriko had been thrown. As Hikari stared at the flames in shock and turned back to Noriko's murderer, the woman's eyes gleamed with an alien light as she turned to Hikari, "Please do not run. I would prefer to extract your data quickly, Horaki."

"Decepticon..." Hikari breathed, frozen in place as the woman smirked in delight of her fear, "What do you want? What did Noriko ever do to you?"

"She punched me...slapped me and choked me...logically, I should not be angry. But...no fleshling, no matter how strong, has any right to mock the might of Reedman. Shadow of Megatron." Hikari's horror only grew as Reedman's form expanded into a monstrous six-legged cybernetic mantis with a stinger that wrapped around Hikari's waist and slammed her into the wall, "To be fair, things would have been far more difficult if you hadn't been brought here."

"I allowed Scorponox to be captured...I allowed you to live so that you would lead me to the Lilin's chosen one...Ikari." Reedman stated, using one of it's claws to cut the braid of Hikari's right pig-tail, "Each piece of me has destroyed entire armies...what made you believe you could survive my combined might? After you were admitted here, I scattered myself into this Command Center's data archives in search of the Lilin itself. Thanks to you, I learned the identity of this Ikari Shinji and opened the doors for my brethren to assault your wretched city."

"You've been doing a great job so far..." Hikari's teeth clenched together as the stinger tightened it's grip on Hikari's body, "You...won't...get away...with this...your plan...has failed."

"I have already transferred the room location of Ikari to Scorponox...he will return soon-" A woman's scream echoed from the wall behind Hikari and soon turned into desperate pleads mixed with pain and exhaustion, "As soon as he satiates his addiction...perhaps I'll throw you at him if Lord Blackout does not need a pet."

"Put her down." Reedman turned his attention from Hikari to a very pretty black haired youth who leaned against the wall reading a book, "That is not how you treat a beautiful young lady."

"I do not take commands from a fleshling." To prove his point, Reedman cut down across Hikari's chest and stomach and left a light cut that lightly bled while Hikari's breath quickened, "Presume to command me again and perhaps I will decorate that black coat with her blood."

"That would not be wise."

"Who are you to speak to me in this way-"

"One who commands you to obey." A translucent violet bird flew out of the youth's eyes and impacted Reedman's body, causing him to drop Hikari while the decepticon froze in place, "You see...that is the problem when every part of you can see all things. Perception can be deceived and therefore...should not be trusted."

"It can't be..." Hikari instantly recognized the youth, "The Black Prince of Britannia."

"Now that I have your attention, you will obey my commands, correct?" Lelouch Vi Britannia inquired and was answered with a confirming nod from the silent Reedman, "Then I command you to find your comrade Scorponox and destroy him. Understood?"

"Yes...my master."

"Are there things about the other "decepticons" which he knows and you don't?"

"Yes."

"Extract them for my usage."

"As you command." Reedman's form immediately broke apart into a pool of marbles that vanished from sight as Hikari merely watched in complete shock.

"Are you alright my dear?" Lelouch asked, offering his jacket as Hikari remained standing in place, "Ma'am, I would suggest taking the jacket...your attire is not very modest with damage in consideration-"

"Korea..." Hikari growled and looked upon Lelouch, "Were in command of Brittania's counterattack?"

"2010? Yes I was-" A puzzled Lelouch caught a quick punch from a now fuming Hikari, "I'm sorry...have I offended you?" The girl unleashed more punches with increasing pace while the Black Prince boredly caught and blocked every single strike.

"I HATE YOU!"

"Is this important at the moment?" Lelouch asked when Hikari managed to strike the prince's face, causing him to mildly flinch and spit out a tooth, "Thank you, now I won't need to see the dentist. But honestly, is this important?"

"You don't remember?" An exhausted Hikari muttered while her arms continued to shake, her hands brushed from Lelouch's multiple catches and blocks, "How could you not remember?"

"Korea was 5 years ago and...how old are you? 14? 15? I assume that you lost a beloved person during the uprisings?"

"My mother..."

"Explanation! Now we have context for you aggression! For you, the Korean Uprising was the most horrendous and important moment of your life." Lelouch stated and brushed a tear from Hikari's eye, "For me? It was Tuesday..."

"My mother died on a Sunday."

"Now explain why this matters now? Especially with your friend grasping onto dear life?"

"Noriko!" Hikari immediately turned from Lelouch and ran down the hall to where a group of security guards finally arrived, "Help her! Please!"

"Ma'am...you're not going to like this..." Returning to his spot on the wall, Lelouch went back to his book as one of the guards gasped in horror and shock at what they had found. For his part, Lelouch listened with mild interest...

* * *

**District 16**

"Commander?"

"Negotiator!" Roger heard Shiro call as Big O arrived upon the outskirts of the ruined district, "Glad to see you alive! I was about to send reinforcements your way!"

"What about me?"

"You'd be alright, slacker."

"Thanks!" Bit said as Liger landed next to the gundam and Escaflowne flew onto the scene, "Van! Another dragon on your tally?"

"Yes...though not without assistance." Van replied and drew Escaflowne's sword when the gathering saw a large mechanized lizard approach them, "Prepare yourselves! One of the fiends still live!"

"ME? NO WAIT! I'M NOT A MECHA-GODZILLA!" The mecha-godzilla shouted with frantic waving hands, "I'm...DRAGONZORD!"

"He's good guys." Simon assured his teammates from within a much bulkier and taller form of Gurren Lagann, "Where's Aniki?"

"Shinji was admitted to Intensive Care due to injuries sustained by Anima." Heero reported, "But right now, we need to focus on the last target."

"The Crystal Dragon that's getting it's ass whipped by Dark Wing Duck?" Judau asked as Spacegodzilla was knocked into the air like a volleyball by Wrecka-Gar and cut through it's shoulder with a scythe formed from red and green energy, "I say we sit back and watch the view."

"Inadvisable...Zero is detecting a high build-up of element zero within the creature's hide."

"WHAT?" Everyone except Simon shouted in horror and surprise as another explosion rocked the background.

"What's element zero?"

"Element Zero (Atomic Number 0, Chemical Symbol Ez), also known as "eezo", is a rare material that, when subjected to an electrical current, releases fifth force energy which can be manipulated into a mass effect field, raising or lowering the mass of all objects within that field. A positive current increases mass, a negative current decreases it. This "mass effect" is used in countless ways including the generation of artificial gravity." Kiva explained, "That's probably how that lizard has been manipulating gravity...it can instinctively control eezo and spread it into a field of gravitational influence."

"So...you can use eezo to increase or lower gravity? Cool."

"You might think otherwise." Heero said to Simon, "The eezo inherent within that creature is beginning to react to the charged particles radiating from Wrecka-Gar's spiral emissions. The resultant reaction is causing a destabilizing effect that will soon collapse the entire gravitational polarity of this continent."

"What will happen when the polarity goes off?"

"Long story short...everyone dies..."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Anyone else get the feeling that this isn't helping as much as it really should?"

"I'm so epically high on awesomeness right now...THAT I DON'T CARE!" Kittan answered Aoi while Mecha King continued to claw away at the crystals that continued to grow and expand on it's target. Around them, the debris and the crystal shards appeared to be forming into a molten crest of some kind, "BUT...it is getting hot to me...anyone else?"

"I don't think this thing has air condition..."

"The only reason it won't have something is because one your mechas won't have it." Yugi explained to the others within the oddly joined cockpit, "So...yeah...that's why it's very hot."

"How can you bare it with all of that tight leather?" Duo asked with a humored smirk, "And that ridiculous hair style-"

"Don't knock the hair style!" Yugi shouted, "Besides...I'm an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh...I was born in heat way worst than this."

"SHUT UP AND KICK ITS ASS!" Kittan demanded while Mecha King fired another Broken Magnum at the monster's crystal armor...armor that was growing denser and changing colors from clear white into a furious red. The Magnum broke through the crystals and slammed into the monster's head while it roared and steam rose out of it's body and off of Mecha King's armor, "Weren't we winning at first?"

"Yeah..." Vega observed as Mecha King slashed it's glaive-scythe through the creature's arm and severed it at the shoulder. With black and gold energy eating away the arm, "When we first started, we were kicking its ass...now it's withstanding our attacks and just...asking us to come at him..."

"Why would it stand there and let it hit us?" Mamoru asked as the ground around the two combatants began to shake and gave way to a crystal covered flooring, "Wait a minute...where did that come from?"

"It's using it's surroundings to it's advantage somehow..." Aoi muttered out loud while he realized that the immediate area where they were standing was rising into the air, "It's lifting us up...and...did the sky just turn red?"

"That's not red...those are red scales..." Toji said in shock while they saw the scale covered sky move above them, "That son of a bitch...it trapped us in here with it..."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Please tell that I'm not seeing what I'm seeing...cause I really wanted to turn in for the day..."

"No...we're looking at it too..." Roger replied to Bit while the group watched the rising energy from the battle in the distance form into the shape of a furious reptilian demon with a pulsing energy core exposed upon it's chest, "Get ready."

"Probability of success is...too low to be reported." Heero stated while charging his buster rifle, "Locking on target-"

"No! You'll only make it stronger!" Kiva warned from Megas, "The only way to take it out is to destroy the source of it's formation...otherwise, it'll only unstabilize the thing even more!"

"Besides...it's not as though the fiend can attack anyway." Van concluded while the Burning Energy Zilla turned towards the Rangers, "Or...maybe I'm completely wrong...as always..."

With a single pulse of nuclear energy, the entire area was scorched with energy of various sources...leaving nothing untouched in it's path while Burning Energy Godzilla declared it's dominance to Angel Groove.

* * *

**Command Center**

"GREAT JOB YUGI! NOW...THE ENERGY FROM YOUR LITTLE BATTLE IS CREATING...A...FLAMING...GODZILLA...MADE...OUT OF...CHARGED...PARTICLE...SPIRAL...NUCLEAR.. ...ENERGY LACED WITH ELEMENT ZERO!"

"If I recall...none of this is exactly my problem."

"STOP BICKERING YOU TWO!" Misato shouted while stomping onto the scene, "You're really gonna let your differences stop you from solving the nuclear crisis that's literally growing as we speak?"

"Why not?"

"What would really be more important?"

"I may be the most hated bitch in this city right now...but that doesn't mean that I'll sit here and watch it burn!" Misato declared, "Under Federation Act 5421, I hereby assume control of this situation!"

"The hell you are-"

"Wait Mrs. Amada...just give her a chance." Kaji assured the fuming Aina, "Besides, we're going to need every resource that we can gather if we're gonna live past four hours-"

"Two at most..." Maya reported, "I really hope that you have a plan Misato..."

"That doesn't involve child soldiers."

"Or manipulative neglect."

"Or two man-children who don't have a realistic grasp of their situation!" Misato countered Yugi and Kaiba, "I need a layman's list of every usable resource that we can throw at this thing...legal or illegal...I need to know..."

"Why?"

"Like my old captain used to say...it's always great to take inventory."

"Speaking of inventory..." Optimus added, "Captain Amada...didn't you report seeing a decepticon that had been heavily bludgeoned?"

"Correct...Officer Takaya and Miss Horaki also witnessed another robot similar to the decepticons attack them wielding a hammer." To those who cared to tell, they could see the slightest of expressions on Optimus' face, "Friend of yours?"

"A brother..." Optimus replied, "Mokuba...use the Command Center's array to contact the following receiver type which I am now sending to your phone."

"You can do that?" Mokuba asked and heard his phone ring, "I guess you can..."

"I have to occupy my time somehow." Optimus added, "Use the array to patch my signal to that receiver. If he still lives...he can help us."

"Who?"

"My successor and the leading Prime of the Autobots." Optimus explained as his eyes closed for a moment and then reopened, "Is the connection set?"

"Ready when you are Optimus..."

"I hope this is actually worth it..." Misato muttered to herself, but tried to maintain optimism and remember her old captain's advice, "Moves are miscalculated and underestimating your enemies and allies...will be your biggest mistake. You will find the will of a single man can be broken. But the will of the pack will be strong and united..."

"To any Autobot within the Sol System...this is Optimus Prime."

* * *

******District 17**

"Optimus!" The Cybertronian Wrecker shouted in joy while dropping the mangled corpse of a decepticon protoform captain, "Optimus...is that truly you?"

"It is Magnus...and I am glad to hear from you again."

"Optimus...after all of this time-"

"There will be time to share all joy and sorrow, but for now I need your help." The Cybertronian Prime listened while his long-lost comrade spoke, "The humans of this city are in grave damage. We must help them."

"But the Prime Directive-"

"Forbids interfering in the affairs of other sentient life. But it allows us to aid them when they request our help." Optimus explained, "Right now, they are facing a threat which will destroy the entire system if we allow it. You must go to the Defense Force in District 16...can you see what they face?"

"Yes..."

"Are you alone?"

"Broadside is an hour off of the Coast and Sentinel has the others hidden within the Asteroid Belt."

"Put Broadside into position...and tell the others that I am here. I am waiting."

* * *

**Command Medical Ward**

"Excuse me...but are you lost little girl?"

"I don't understand how I got here...but thank you...I can find my way around." Nia said to the heavily exhausted nurse, "How are you?"

"It's not one of my better days..." The nurse laughed before she heard a call that made her straighten her back, "Sorry...but I have to catch a code red."

"Understood..." Nia replied with a smile and decided to run off to catch a code red of her own, _"Mya! Tell me where Simon and Shinji are now!"_

_"Simon is still within the chaos of battle...surrounded by a chorus of rising destruction..."_

_"And Shinji?"_

_"On the edge between life and death...his voice growing more heavy by each note and minute..."_

_"Thanks!"_ Nia replied and sped down the halls, thankfully unnoticed because everyone in that area was in a giant hurry for some reason. She finally found a young man in a black suit who she stopped in front and tapped, "Excuse me sir..."

"Oh...hello little girl, how can I help you?" The very pretty young man greeted in a chivalric manner, almost similar to a shining prince from a fairy tale, "Looking for someone?"

"Was Major Shinja admitted to Intensive Care?" Nia asked while asking herself another question, "What made her think that this man knew where Shinja is?"

"Do not gaze into his eyes little one..."

"Why not?" Nia got her answer when the man looked into the eyes of a nearby receptionist and she became shockingly compliant with his questions, "Oh...I see..."

"He commands a sour note...one that is transported through the eye of the beholder..."

"I see..." Nia agreed when the man turned back to her and she looked down at the floor, "I am thankful that you are going out your way to help me..."

"No need...perhaps I can help you further?" The man caressed Nia's hair and pushed it behind her ear while gently pushing her chin up, "What is your name girl?"

"Ah...Shinia..." Nia blurted out while averting her gaze to the man's check which had a bruise on it, "What happened to your face?"

"I was in a plane crash..."

"I see...where is Major Shinja?"

"You mean Major Ikari?" The man inquired, "He's undergoing intensive surgery at the moment, though I wonder why you're here-"

"Thanks and good day!" Nia bolted past the youth and knocked him off of his feet while she dashed for the intensive care ward. Once inside, she looked through the door numbers to see which one was Shinji's, "Mya?"

"No need...others will hear you plea."

"Why is there a little girl unattended in here?" A doctor muttered while stomping towards Nia, "Little girl...can you go back to the waiting room-"

"WHERE IS SHINJA?" Nia shouted to the doctor's surprise and rising annoyance, "He's hurt...he's dying and I have to help him!"

"I'm sorry for your situation...but there's nothing that you can do-" Suddenly the doctor slapped himself on the face when he remembered why his patient wasn't doing so well, "Are you Nia Teppelin from the Gurren Brigade?"

"Dai-Gurren Brigade thank you very much!" Nia corrected with her arms crossed over her chest, "Now take me to Shinja now so that I can help him!"

"So you know that he needs a blood transfusion from you?"

"Didn't I say take me to Shinja so that I could help him?" Nia darkly asked while the doctor initially thought he saw an oiled shadow emerge from under Nia's feet, "Will this blood transfusion help him?"

"Yes..."

"Then why are you standing still?"

**xxxxx**

Back in the Waiting Room, the Black Prince brushed himself off and sat upon a nearby sofa with a table where an open bag of potato chips lied waiting for someone to eat them.

"Now to make a few contacts..." The Prince stated while dialing on the phone which the receptionist was "persuaded" to loan to him, "Pendragon Redirectory? I'm using an foreign number, but surely you recognize my voice?"

"Of course sire...how can I be of assistance?"

"Redirect me to the Estate of the Area 8 Viscountess...there is an upcoming event that she must attend." With a smile, Lelouch took a potato chip and ate it...

But the chip was stale so he spat it out and threw away the bag.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**The Zilla Arc will be concluded in the first half of the next chapter, I'm now certain of that. As for Kaji and Lelouch's appearance in Angel Groove? That'll be given greater detail later as will the reason why Yugi takes every opportunity he can get to troll Kaiba.**

**Especially by making his own Super Gattai-Mecha with a trading card while Kaiba has to use blackmail and his own money...which is finite despite having a lot of it. And that he keeps making an otherwise difficult, but workable opponent more and more powerful and more of hassle for Kaiba...especially with all of that property damage.**

**Before the Misato fans start, I'll confess...I might be acting a little mean towards Misato right now since she is right about a few things even if it's not entirely for the right reason. But upon closer inquiry, I've come to realize something about Misato...  
**

**MISATO WAS A COMPLETE BITCH IN HER ORIGINAL SHOW!  
**

**Think about it people, I'll agree with you when you say that Asuka was a bitch, but she had a freudian excuse and...she was the same age as Shinji. Misato on the other hand, became Asuka's parental guardian and pretty much allowed Asuka to be the bitch that she was. In turn, allowing Asuka to further beat down Shinji's self-esteem, backbone and confidence.  
**

**Not to mention how she always lectures Shinji about running away and facing his problems, when everything she does is somehow doing the exact same thing. Even Anno has stated that Misato's character trait is keeping people at a distance with her life style. The fact that she never tries to amend any of this for Shinji's sake makes her almost as bad as Gendo.  
**

**In some ways, she's worse than how some would describe Yui!  
**

**It's part of the dysfunction junction that is Evangelion, but no parental figure should ever think that kissing their charge will bring them out of a BSOD...in Shinji's case, it only drove him deeper in.  
**

**However, I won't allow my personal feelings to keep from working her towards the realization that she has screwed up and to keep from allowing her a chance to change. Because unlike Gendo, who knows exactly what he's doing, there's room for interpretation that Misato just wasn't cut out for the "big sister mentor" role but still tried the best way that she knew how...not that it worked, but at least she isn't doing it out of cruelty.**

**Hence why she's being given a chance to do what she actually does right and well: Make an impossible plan work.**

* * *

**And for something completely different:**

"Well my boy! I was wondering what would break first!" Simon roared as he charged Lordgenome, his drill core in his hand as he punched at the giant. The bronze spiral veteran grabbed Simon's hand and effortlessly wrenched the boy's arm out of it's socket before slamming his fist into Simon's shoulder, "Your spirit? Or your Will?"

"Your Gunman?" Another fist rocket into Simon's chest and caused the boy to cough out blood. Lordgenome flung the boy into the air and caught him so that he was holding Simon by his dislocated arm and his leg, "Or your body?" Simon lost all feeling in half of his body when Lordgenome's knee crashed into his spine. The Spiral Veteran then threw the boy onto his back and allowed the child to cry out in sheer and utter pain...

**xxxx**

"Did he kill him?"

"I'm not sure." Naota answered the fuming tearful Nia, "I hope he did."

"You hate him that much?"

"No...because he'd be better off dead...compared to what else could've happened."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the future...**


	24. Roar Finale

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_All of the side-heroes from the Universal Century show that you can actually work alongside Heero Yuy to dissect the last Zilla! Meanwhile, Coop, Naota and Simon manage to force the last Mecha-godzilla to give up. Prompting it to become Dragonzord and join the good guys._

_Lame..._

_Meanwhile Yugi uses a children's card game to combine all of the unimportant defenders into the hot blooded Mecha King Mecha Wrecka Gar. A Gattai-Mecha so powerful that it destabilizes the energy around it and is threatening a nuclear meltdown of Nova proportions._

___All while Yugi laughs his ass off._

___In the Command Center, Shinji is sent to the hospital as Misato rips off "A Few Good Men" as a pretentious and over-the-top way of telling Hikari and everyone else in the city to stop bashing on Nerv. _

___And no one's mind is changed._

___Hikari watches her roommate get blasted by a sexy patient, watches the sexy patient transform into a cybernetic preying mantis and is saved by the last person that anyone would want in their city._

___Unless your name is Shirley, Nunnully, Euphemia, Suzaku, Zero, Kallen, or Johnny Young Bosch._

___Will Thaeonblade actually conclude the Zilla Wars in this chapter? Will Shinji be able to receive proper treatment for his one-hundredth near-fatal injury? Is Optimus going to do something other than float in a fish jar? What is the Black Prince of Britannia doing in Angel Groove? Will Misato ever salvage her standing in Shinji's eyes? Will Penpen stop drinking all of her beer? Is this the End for all of Angel Groove's troubles? All of these questions will be answered...soon._

___As in...right now:_

___Yes; Yes; What do you think?; You'll find out; Not for a while; No; and HELL NO!_

* * *

**IN SPACE!**

"Come back here pal!"

Why wouldn't the fleshling leave him alone?

Soundwave felt another one of it's fins get cut from the transformer by the Hyper Blade of the Homodrone that still pursued him. He knew that retreat would be a difficult activity, but he never expected this fleshling to be so persistent. Humans truly were a vicious and violent race.

"Shockwave to Soundwave, come in." Soundwave used every fiber of processing ability to ignore the incoming call. But being the Communications officer did have it's down sides, "Soundwave? This is Shockwave to Soundwave. Come in old friend."

"I am somewhat occupied Shockwave..."

"I can't hear you, your signal is very weak."

"If you would actually attend to the repairs on the Nemesis comm boosters then that would not be a problem."

"What? Speak more loudly Soundwave-"

"HOW IS THIS FOR YOU!" Soundwave yelled and was shot by a small pulse beam that seared through it's abdomen area, "Ass of Absolvent Prime..."

"DON'T YOU WANNA PLAY!"

"Damn fleshling! Leave me alone!" Soundwave turned around and launched several pods in the Homodrone's direction. The machine slashed through one which ignited the seismic charges within and crushed the exterior of it's right arm and right shoulder, "This better be important Shockwave! My energon reserves are already close to running out!"

"I am tracking your location as we speak." Soundwave shook with annoyance and sheer terror from the implications of Soundwave's words, "Just need a few more astro-parsecs and I can get a lock on the fleshling that is beating you-"

"I do not require your assistance!" It was not that Soundwave did not require help against the Homodrone, because he truly did. It's just that he did not need this help in the form of Shockwave aka The Absolute Worst Shot in the Galaxy. The Fleshing expression of being unable to "shoot for shit" wouldn't be nearly enough to account for Shockwave's dangerous inaccuracy.

He blasted a 20 mile wide crater in the moon of Diago...and missed his target by 30 kilometers.

The entire ecosystem of the forest covered planet Tetrafoil was razed to the ground because he missed an 500 meter long Autobot cruiser from a little over a meter away.

Recently, he destroyed an energon and oxygen reach world when he ignited its atmosphere and caused a chain reaction which left that entire star system vacant of life. Because he missed a 25 meter asteroid that was covered in gas from a nebula.

All of these facts forever sealed Shockwave's placement on guard detail at the hidden Nemesis cruiser. Though, Shockwave did have his uses and Soundwave didn't completely blame Shockwave for not being able to shoot for shit.

Why? Simple. Shockwave was a right-handed cyclops with his blaster attached to the left arm.

Do the math.

"Soundwave! Where are you?"

"Starscream?"

"Starscream to any decepticon! SOS! I repeat! SOS-" Starscream's frantic cry was cut off by static to indicate either his death or worse, his capture.

"Starscream requires assistance?" Damn...Shockwave heard that transmission, "I shall bring a team with me to extract Starscream-"

"No you fool. We cannot waste valuable troops on that weak and unloyal fool!" Soundwave stated as the Homodrone spun it's wings through the decepticon's hull to further damage it. Energon leaked from his now exposed interiors just as the Communications Officer spotted an incoming Fleshling tourist cruiser, "It is better to preserve units for a better day!"

"Of course Soundwave." Shockwave agreed, bringing about relief that was further increased when Soundwave fired a seismic charge in the direction of the cruiser. The decepticon's relief rose when the Homodrone flew towards the charge to prevent it from destroying the cruiser.

"Stupid fleshling-"

"I shall come by myself."

"What!" Soundwave's sheer shock prevented him from detonating the charge as the Homodrone reached it and allowed the machine to reach the cruiser without even touching it, "Damn it!" The charge exploded and it's blast radius was warded off by the Homodrone's barrier who now had a safe distance from the charge. While his plan didn't destroy the fleshling, it did leave a valuable opening for the decepticon to transform and escape.

So it did."

"I'll get you next time fleshling!" Soundwave warned after he finished transforming into a cybertronian jet that fired up it's engines and blasted away from the scene, "Next time..."

* * *

**Sky Anchor**

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention!" The leader of the terrorists currently hijacking the luxery plane called out as most of it's passengers cowered in absolute terror, "First, I will need a volunteer or shall I chose at random?"

"No...I volunteer." Despite the protest of his great-granddaughter, an old retired Brittannian knight rose from his seat and stepped forward, "Do your worst."

"Nothing of the sort, sir." The hijacker replied with respect for this wizened 90 year old, "Just need a demonstration, for the younger ones."

"I have nothing to lose."

"Good." The nearby emergency door was pulled open and the old knight was pushed into the doorway with his upper body barely being kept from falling out, "I'll make this quick." One gunshot later, the old man was no longer in the doorway and several women on the plane were screaming.

"Now for an explanation to my seemingly random act of cruelty." The terrorist began with a laugh, "You see...I am actually a member of the Federation Intelligence and Tracking Bureu. Someone on this plane is an enemy of the United States of America. As the USA is a member of the Federation, I have been ordered to find this person at all costs. Unfortunately by intent or proximity, everyone on this plane is a suspect."

"The Geneva Accords prevent me from using cruel and unusual methods on Federation Soil. But since we are not on the ground, I am allowed to have a little judgement in this situation." The ITB agent pointed to the open sky beyond the opened emergency door as the passengers all fell into silence, "I received a tip that one of you would know about the location of the terrorist named Zero."

"He's a Britannian problem! What's that got to do with us?"

"Because Britannia is a member of the Federation. That's why he's my problem and if he's my problem, he'll be your problem for as long as you don't cooperate!" The ITB agent shouted to the Texan accountant, "Perhaps you like to be tested first? Whose going to lie while being held out of a plane?"

"No! Please I didn't mean-" The accountant was pulled from his seat and held headfirst out of the plane while the ITB agent pointed a gun to his head, "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"I haven't asked the question yet sir...toss him." The poor man was let go and thrown out of the plane while the passengers panicked even more, "So here's how this works! I'm going to ask you questions about the terrorist and you're going to answer when spoken to. If you speak beforehand or you do a terrible job at lying, I shoot you and turn your corpse into a makeshift bomb."

"Amatuer..."

"What was that grandma?"

"I said that you are an amateur." Dr. Halsey spoke up while one of the ITB agents grabbed her and brought her to the captain, "You must be new to the job."

"Really old woman? I'd hold you out but...no one's gonna care about a bag of bones like you."

"Do you know who I am? Or you do and you're putting up a frail front?"

"Or perhaps you don't realize whose in control right now." The ITB leader motioned to one of his men, "See that pink-haired girl in the bunny suit?"

"The one with the yellow eyes and the guitar?"

"Yeah! Bring her over her." A few seconds later, a tall japanese girl with pinkish hair and yellow eyes was very loudly protesting being brought to the doorway, "What's your name miss?"

"I'm just a bunny...HELP ME! DON'T LET THEM KILL ME!" The girl answered before she started screaming again. In fact, it didn't sound like a scream of fear. She was being dramatic on purpose.

"Alright...you must think that you're safe because you're pretty?"

"You think I'm pretty?"

"Yes. But that's not going to change anything." The captain confessed the girl was held out of the doorway, "You've got a nice rack..a damn shame that I'll have to put a bullet through them if you don't cooperate. Who is Zero?"

"Zero isn't a person...it's a number."

"Please take this seriously miss...I don't want to shoot your rack..." The captain placed his pistol in between the woman's cleavage, "This is pretty close to your heart! You know that right?"

"I think I see the ocean from here!"

"Fine...I'll talk to someone sensible." The captain turned to Halsey who was patiently standing there waiting for the captain to impress her, "Where's Zero! What is he planning?"

"He's somewhere planning to destroy Britannia like always?"

"What is it with bitches these days?" The captain laughed and was more surprised when the girl started massaging the pistol with her cleavage, "The bloody hell? Don't you realize that I could kill you within a second? I'm not bluffing!"

"They know. They just don't care."

"Or perhaps they're wondering why you'd shoot someone before throwing them out of the plane?"

"It's a waste of ammunition, just throw them out like you did the accountant."

"Who said that?" Three hands shot up in the back and the ITB leader had the girl pulled out of the doorway before he moved to where the three hands had risen, "Well...what have we here?"

"I know! I never thought we'd ever all be on the same plane!" Kaji laughed while Fuyutski palmed his face and the youth in black kept reading out of his book, "I thought you took a desk job, Malk!"

"Everyone gets a lucky break Ryoji!" The ITB captain replied, "Who are the bastards with you?"

"Royal bastard thank you very much." Lelouch Vi Brittania spoke up, "My parents weren't married, but my birth is officially recognized by my father. In fact, I believe that we are all royal bastards."

"Excuse me my prince..." Malk kneed Lelouch in the stomach and pulled him into the aisle before putting a pistol to his forehead, "Or should I say, Zero?"

"What makes you believe that I'm Zero?" Lelouch boredly inquired, "But...Americans aren't known for their common sense."

"I've been tracking your case for five years brat! I started out with a suspect list of 143 and now I'm down to 3. Of those 3, you're the one whose got the most bread crumbs leading to you."

"Were they delicious?"

"Shut that bitch up!" A guard proceeded to hit the back of the girl's head with the butt of their rifle, "So then...Zero...what are you doing in American airspace?"

"One of my agents was caught in a mess, so I decided to see if he'd revealed anything about me."

"I didn't tell them anything that they didn't already know."

"Britannia, really Kaji?" Fuyutski inquired, "You're going to get yourself killed."

"Not that I care...you heard the man and now you're caught!" The ITB agent laughed, "What's the next step in your grand plan Zero? Are you going to crash this plane with no survivors?"

"Oh no...I'm not going to do that..." Lelouch looked past the captain to where four of the ITB agents were all looking in his direction, "That's what your men are going to do."

"What?"

"You're men are going to kill the pilots and cause the plane to crash."

"I don't know what you've been smoking, but if you think-" Just then, gunshots erupted from the front of the plane as it began to violently rock back and forth. The Captain turned around and saw that four of his men were currently emptying their ammo into the riddled bodies of the pilots managing the plane, "Stop them!" Then a thud slammed into the top of the unbalanced plane.

"But they're doing half my job for me." The ITB captain stuttered in sheer terror as a solid square was opened at the top of the plane and revealed the black cloaked and black masked visage of Zero, "Lighten the load."

"You-" The captain was riddled with holes by the half a dozen agents that poured into the hole and began to open fire on the remaining ITB agents.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen, you are now passengers of Zero Flight." Zero called out as a roped ladder was dropped through the hole and the plane strangely stopped moving, "If you would follow the instructions of your liberators then we will relocate you to more...assuring seats."

"You're not going to kill me then?"

"Oh no Lelouch! Your father will expect a body and I will provide him one." Zero replied while the passengers were quickly moved up the ladder, "Find the sub-commander and the doctor."

"Here they are boss!" Halsey and Fuyutski were pushed forward while two body bags were thrown into the plane, "Anyone else?"

"They'll expect one of us in the wreckage, my dear?"

"But I wanted to fly in the plane!" The pink haired girl mock complained and grabbed her dented Red Rickenbacker bass guitar and swat one of the ITB corpses out of the still open emergency door, "I better have fun whereever I end up!"

"You will." Zero assured before descending into the plane just as the last of the passengers were taken out. The body bags were then opened to reveal cold corpses that were hauntingly identical to the elderly VIPs that had just been moved out of the plane. The two corpses were dressed and placed into seats while Kaji and Zero were held at guitar-point by the smirking bunny girl, "Our business is now concluded, Lelouch."

"It seems to be..."

"Enjoy the fall." While Zero seemed to glide upwards, the plane fell out of whatever grip was holding it in check and the three remaining passengers released intermingled screams between sheer terror and excitement...

* * *

**Angel Groove Command Center**

"And that's how I ended up in Angel Groove."

"No way..."

"True story." Kaji replied to Misato after finishing his tale, "Then I woke up, got patched up and here I am."

"How did you survive a 20,000 foot drop?"

"Zero was kind enough to leave parachutes on the plane." Kaji answered, "Granted that there were only two, so the nice bunny suit girl let us use them and she rode out the actual crash. Me and Lelouch managed to parachute around halfway through the fall."

"Wasn't the plane spinning?"

"You'd surprised about what you could accomplish when your life is at stake."

"A truly compelling story." Kaiba offered, "But do explain how it has anything to do with the BUILDING CELESTRIAL MELTDOWN OCCURRING IN MY CITY!"

"Nothing whatsoever?"

"Oh my money..." Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose in sheer annoyance.

* * *

**Don't...Ask...**

_They all cried..._

_Cried as their oppressors drained their very blood from the veins of their bodies..._

_Warriors of steel and metal fought a losing war against the leviathans of the harvest. Beams of plasma and power were effortlessly reflected by the Terror Field of the Mountain that led the harvesters. Some were reduced to gibbering animals by the ringing noise that the harvesters forced into their minds and others were reduced down into a red sludge by the cutting pulse beams that the leviathans produced..._

_Those who were alive, now fought upon the landscape of hell._

_"Help me! Help me!" No one could help couldn't help her. A frantic pilot was trapped within a humanoid mecha that had been submerged up to it's cockpit in a black sludge with white stripes. White organic tentacles emerged from the sludge and welded the hatch of the mecha open as the girl continued to scream._

_"HELP! PLEASE HELP ME!" The hatch fell and revealed a young girl in a plugsuit who was held by a pale white fungas that covered the inside of her unit, "STOP! HELP ME! DAMN IT! HELP ME!" The girl screamed one more time as one of the tentacles found a hole in her suit and coiled upon her bare skin and the other expanded the tip into a a four pointed tendril that latched onto her mouth..._

_But still she cried...though no sound would ever emerge from her body again..._

* * *

**Home of the Negotiator**

Dorothy was concerned.

The very admittance of this seemed like a stark paradox since Dorothy was indeed an android.

But whether Dorothy truly had a soul, her advanced programming was acting upon a valid observation or the so-called "ghost in the shell" was reacting to outside stimulus...Norman could see how Annie's mood was affecting Mrs. Smith.

While Dorothy sat at the piano and played, Annie lifelessly sat on the sofa and looked upon the image of a tar pit from a discovery magazine. Her eyes held a vacant expression that even exceeded Dorothy's normal facial features and she hadn't smiled since the last time she had gone to visit her school's class representative.

"Miss Annie perhaps you should play something a little more calm." The butler suggested to the girl while he noted Dorothy's subtle attention to her daughter's lack of reaction, "Didn't you mention practicing Beethoven?"

"What's the point?"

"Because it's fun?"

"Fun is irrelevant. An opium meant to disguise the inevitability of mortality." Dorothy played a final low note before ceasing and quickly walking over to her daughter. Annie looked up at her mother with an unchanged expression, "What is your quarry mother?"

"You are a child, act as one." Dorothy commanded with a note of authority which seemed more desperate than an outsider would have noticed, "Go play Beethoven on the piano."

"I'm going to die one day...why bother?"

"Because you are alive." Dorothy replied more gently and lifted her daughter into her arms, "Did you have another nightmare?"

"Nightmares only emerge when you are asleep mother."

"You saw something?"

"I saw a girl scream as the Night devoured and defiled her..." Dorothy's expression betrayed utter shock and fear that Norman rarely observed, "The Haze had...trapped her and...she died or I hope she did."

"This has gone on long enough." Dorothy decided and walked past Norman to the door leading to the elevator from their floor, "Inform Roger that I am taking Annie to the Command Center."

"Angel Groove is in the middle of a war Dorothy-"

"The only district in active combat at the moment is District 16. I will take the bike through Big O's underground routes and get to the Command Center through them."

"The Command Center?"

"That is where I will find Officer Takaya and likely Nia as well." Dorothy replied and held Annie closer to her, a saddened frown etched onto her otherwise unreadable face, "I suppose that we will all miss dinner tonight, I am sorry Norman."

"I have always wanted to try that new Minskys anyway..."

* * *

**Intensive Care Unit**

"Blood pressure stabilizing."

"Transfusion 70% complete."

"Blood Count reaching a balance."

"My arm feels numb..." Shinji mumbled as his eyes opened, he stared up at a brightly lit ceiling with several nurses and doctors talking nearby, "Guess the train stopped..."

"What train?" He tilted his head and saw Nia seated on the bed next to his with a bandage on her left wrist, "I believe that Shinja is conscious doctor."

"We gave him enough sedatives to knock out a 50 ft anaconda."

"Why did you give me that much of a sedative?" Shinji asked while sitting up and noticing the wires that pumped a red liquid into his arm, "Oh...that's why..."

"You should see the ones for your chest man-"

"Get the intern out of here!" The doctor shouted as said college intern was held into a full-nelson, choked into unconsciousness and tossed out of the room, "Your injuries were severe Major Ikari. A transfusion was needed to preserve your life."

"Looks like it worked..." Shinji looked over to the happy and heavily relieved Nia and then to the nearby medical staff, "Thank you...all of you."

"Just doing our job son." The doctor answered as Shinji attempted to get up from the bed, "I highly recommend against that. Your body is still adjusting to the transfusion, not to mention recovering from your injuries."

"The city's still under attack..." Shinji said to himself as his exhausted body forced him to lie upon his side while fumed in frustration, "Damn it! Why can't I get up!"

"Son, you would have died if this young girl hadn't arrived when she did-"

"Don't call me son!" Shinji roared and immediately regretted when he saw Nia's concerned expression, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have shouted, but my friends need me...the city needs me."

"Perhaps there is a way for Shinji to recover and help the city?" Nia inquired, "If not, then I can help the others-"

"No! You're not stepping into Eva again!"

"And how exactly can you stop me?" Nia asked politely as Shinji cried out in sheer frustration, "Though I do admit that I have never piloted an evangelion unaided and would likely be more of a hindrance than assistance. And...it is your evangelion-"

"No...it's Kaiba's eva...I'm just the only one who can pilot it..." Shinji answered and forced himself upright once more, "If I don't...someone else will...and they'll suffer...If I don't pilot...then everyone will die..."

"Major, I've heard that we're actually winning." The doctor clarified, "So there's no need for you to strain yourself for a battle that's almost over."

"If I die...no one will-" Nia's face tightened into a disapproving frown before Shinji had the will to finish. The girl walked over to Shinji's bed and sat at his side while facing away from him, "Nia...I-"

"If I did not care for you...I would let you die..." Shinji heard Nia practically threaten, "If Hikari did not care for you...she would not have risked her life to make sure that you came here and neither would Noriko...Simon would not call you his "aniki"...Mokuba would not have given you a free upgrade and Kaiba would have given you back to your father whose...a horrible inconsiderate person..."

"You're all nice people-"

"Then why wouldn't we miss you if you died? Why would we risk our lives to protect yours if we weren't nice people? Why would I call you my brother if I didn't care?" Nia looked upon Shinji to reveal the heavy tears that flowed from her eyes, "I don't ever want to hear you say any part of that sentence again! When you said that to Hikari...it hurt her...and it hurts me too! But you're a good, brave and kind person...why would you hurt me like that?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you Nia..." Shinji apologized with his head now hanging down, "I'm sorry-" He was stopped when the girl glomped him tightly, an embrace that Shinji returned on instinct.

"I know that you did not mean it. But you seem to be in denial that people care for you. Get over it...we love you...I love you...Shinja..."

"Nia..."

"Transfusion complete...stopping the sequence." One of the nurses said as the doctor reluctantly moved over to remove the wires from Shinji's arm, which would force these young people to break their embrace, "You may experience momentary discomfort, but it is temporary."

"Alright..." Shinji agreed while Nia's face beamed with joy and Shinji returned the expression with a soft smile...

* * *

**Mokuba's Secret Section (AKA The Mokuba Cave)**

"Mr. Mokuba! Major Ikari has exited surgery and is on his way to recovery!"

"Forward the message to the Command Center." Mokuba replied to the agent while viewing the schematics for the inventory that Colonel Katsuragi wanted to see, "I can't believe that Seto's letting this bitch boss us around."

"That's probably why he's doing it." Kiyal said and brought out an indexed and heavily packed folder, "Just to mess with everyone."

"Sorry about that-"

"You know that we're still connected on the same channel." Seto reminded his younger brother over the intercomm, "So less chatter and more search and keep my city from being a grave for the fireflies."

"You mean our city bro?"

"Whose name is on the deed?"

"Who owns half of your stocks?"

"Seto! Mokuba! Focus your efforts!" Optimus sounded, "Have you taken inventory yet?"

"All I've got is an incomplete Dividing Driver." Mokuba answered, "The bullet's triggering mechanism isn't even active yet...and it's not charged."

"What be the affect of the bullet?"

"It would create a spatial dimension that would soon collapse upon itself." Mokuba summarized without going into various theories on quantim physics, celestrial mechanics and other laws of gravity and dimensional theory which he had to memorize just to keep from making a Dividing Driver into an unstable time bomb, "Great for exploding things without actually causing property damage."

"Right Mokuba...right..."

"Okay Seto...less property damage..."

"What would it take to charge the bullet?"

"I just gave the bitch an idea..."

* * *

**Command Center**

"Just hear me out on this Mokuba."

"Before I even hear it...I know that this going to be a stupid idea!"

"I've had a lot of stupid ideas and this wouldn't even top that last!" Misato freely admitted, "The only way to take out the crystal zilla's core without destroying the entire continent is to warp out the core entirely!"

"So you want to use one of Mokuba's incomplete Dividing Drivers to do just that?" Seto asked, still oddly calm despite the situation, "And how do you plan on getting the rangers close enough to even pull that off?"

"They won't have to." Misato clarified with a confident smirk, "At least not both of them...that monster's energy is rising in proportion to it's decreasing stability right? That means that all we have to do is shoot the Dividing Driver into the Zilla's core and activate it with enough force to throw that core into another dimension where it'll explode without damaging the city."

"Okay...okay...I'm following you..." Mokuba replied while connecting the dots in his mind, "Hey Optimus! How strong is your friend's hammer form?"

"The Magnus hammer which Ultranus wields was forged from the energy of an exploding star-"

"So at least a megaton of pressure?"

"Yes."

"Perfect!"

"Okay...now we just need a powerful enough energy source to be channeled and harnessed into the bullet..." Misato thought outloud while Leeron loudly yawned, "Anything to contribute?"

"Ever heard of spiral energy my dear?"

"Spiral Energy? Yeah...Kittan wouldn't shut up about it..." Misato chuckled while Maya blushed about how "detailed" Kittan explained his spiral power, "Can Simon generate enough power to charge the Dividing Driver?"

"He punched someone into another dimension."

"Not questioning that angle again," Misato decided while running a mental checklist through his head, "What do we have that can focus that energy and condense it into the driver?"

"Dragonzord?" Briefs repeated outloud, "The rangers recently procured one of the machine-zillas as an ally and it named Dragonzord."

"Okay...and Spiral Energy can greatly enhance the capabilities of anything that it's connected to?"

"Correct." Leeron stated, "So you're planning to have Dragonzord combined with Mecha Lord so that the combination of Dragonzord's energy absorbtion capabilities and Mecha Lord's spiral power can fire the Dividing Bullet at Crystal Zilla's core?"

"That's the plan..." Misato answered and turned to Kaiba, "Do you have a Dummy Plug ready?"

"A dummy what now?"

"An auto-pilot system for evangelion." Mokuba replied, "And no...we couldn't work out the bugs and I scrapped it."

"WHY?"

"Because it would wrestle control of the Eva from the pilot!"

"That's the point!" Misato shouted and remembered that she was not very popular with the Angel Groove Staff. Therefoe, her idea wasn't likely to gain for her any popularity points, "Look...it was conceived as a contingency plan in the event that the pilot was incapacitated in combat-"

"So that you could use them as literal dolls?" Aina laughed, "But someone needs to stand the post...don't they?"

"I can't believe this...I'm trying to save your city and now you're blasting me for considering the hard decisions?"

"The Dummy Plug isn't an option...so you want to deploy Unit 01 for Mecha Lord?"

"Will since your boss is too "considerate" to make a Dummy Plug then how else our we supposed to create Mecha Lord?" Misato demanded, "From what I've been given, an evangelion unit is essential for it's formation. So explain how you're going to create Mecha Lord without it's primary component?"

"Ah...excuse me..." Dr. Tauros joined in on the viewscreen, "I do have a hyper-charger for my cannon project that I could donate. How would that help?"

"Nani?"

"Well...I could connect my Hover Cargo to the Power Dampener in District 16 and combine it with Dragonzord and Lagann to absorb the Zilla's energy and use it for an improvised gun that uses my catapult as a base." Tauros added to Misato's confusion, "Just an idea."

"Who the hell is this guy?"

"Dr. Tauros, manager of the Blitz Team." Tauros introduced himself, "Now I just need to find the coordinates for the dampener."

"Forwarding it's location to you now."

"What the hell does that thing even do Mokuba?"

"Its an oversized ventilation system situated throughout the city that absorbs and regulates energy." Mokuba explained to his brother, "How do you think we made District 5 relivable after Deathwing?"

**"ALL THAT LIES IN THE SHADOW OF MY STEP-"**

"Shut up Talking Eldunari!" Seto shouted, silencing the before-forgotten and forlorn eldunari of Deathwing, "Hey Optimus, won't this hammer made from a dying star have a lot of destructive potential?"

"For safety measures only a Prime can wield the full power of the Magnus Hammer." Optimus explained while Kaiba wrote a few sentences on the back of a bridge bunny's collar, "They are also the only ones who can control this power and lift it's built-in restraints."

"Or else it would destroy the planet when dropped?"

"Precisely."

"Is Ultranus a Prime?"

"I appointed him as my successor when I departed for Earth in search of Megatron-"

"And you're a Prime? But not the acting prime."

"Ultranus is now leader of the Autobots due to my absence and my current condition-"

"You're a head in a fish jar that doesn't make you dead."

"Speak your point."

"All I'm saying is that it looks like you were Prime and then you put Ultranus in charge when you left for Earth." Kaiba read out while playing connect the dots on the blushing bridge bunny's collar, "So...since you're alive and he's here now...that means...you're in charge over him due to seniority and you're now leader of the Autobots."

"Your observations are not incorrect-"

"Which means that when Ultranus tries to use a weapon that he can't properly use...it's going to wipe out the whole continent...more importantly my city..." Kaiba finished as the whole bridge began to sweat, "Hey Mokuba...did you finish Optimus' trailer?"

"Yeah...but it doesn't have the rest of Optimus' body-"

"Don't care, need trailer."

"What are you going to pull it on?"

"Briefs!" Kaiba declared with his coattails of doom swirling upward despite the lack of a wind current, "Ready the Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet!"

"What? You...really have a..." Kaji then joined Penpen, Misato, the entire control bridge and technical staff who heard Kaiba's words all burst out into laughter despite the fact that they could easily die within the next couple of hours, "I have my fancies...but...I thought...I thought..."

"You thought what-"

"Seto Kaiba really has a dragon fetish...do you wear a blue eyes white dragon thong?" Kaji snickered, unable to control his laughter, "Do you have a blue eyes white dragon blanket? Are you going to make a Blue Eyes White Dragon Bank for all of your money?"

"Bitch I might be." Seto answered and ignored all of the laughter in the control room and proceeded to storm out of the Command Center like a boss, "Mokuba, make sure the Nerv Bitch doesn't blow up my city."

"Got it bro...do you have a dragon costume?"

"You've seen it Mokuba." The roaring laughter of his little brother brought a growl to Kaiba's mouth since it thundered through the intercom of the base, "Shut up Mokuba..."

* * *

**District 16****  
**

"When the hell could you do that?"

"Took the part from a shield liger..." A strained Bit replied while the large green barrier that Liger had erected evaporated and left the Rangers within a ditch surrounded by melting and heated soil from the blast of the foe in the distance, "But...it's not going to help out again...so..."

"SCATTER!" Roger commanded while the Rangers, DF members and other assistance all fled in multiple directions, "Keep it's focus divided while looking for a weakness! Try to contact our friends on the inside too!"

"On it." Heero replied while activating the Search Eye on his gundam, "Target locked, gathering essential information."

"What could be essential then we shouldn't be hit by it?"

"The molecular structure of the Creature indicates that it is a hardened manifestation of charged particles of multiple sources of energy including Spiral, Nuclear, Eezio, Plasma, Trapar, Thermal and so on..." Heero replied to Van, "However, the structure of this creature is highly unstable and has several fracture points of exposed energy flow."

"What would happen if we hit those points?"

"Zero estimates a 79% chance that striking the fracture points will ebb the flow of the kaiju's energy while containing and weakening it at the same time."

"Anything else?"

"Don't die."

"No shit junior." Amada acknowledged, "Here's a rough plan, heavy hitters target those fracture points and hit them with everything that you've got. Evasive or speedy pilots, keep it's attention and keep it occupied. Bit? How long until you get erect another shield?"

"I'm dehydrated..."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"That shield was a new feature...one time use...unless Liger and I can get recharged..." Bit lethargically answered, heavily breathing as though he were about to pass out, "Seriously...anyone have a water bottle?"

"Didn't you get a contingency cooler stored in you cockpit?"

"Oh! That's what it was!"

"You threw it out."

"I didn't think I'd need it."

_"Better to have it and not need then to be in Bit's shoes right now..."_ Roger would've laughed if not for the mortal peril that Bit seemed to be in, "Can anyone give Bit a water bottle?"

"We're in the middle of a warzone and you want to pause and give Bit a drink of water?"

"He is a friend in need, Heero! We would do the same for you!"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but nobility can only do so much Prince of Fanelia-"

"That's King thank you very much."

"Anyone who needs to call himself the king isn't a very good king."

"Everyone?" Simon chimed in, "I think that the giant lizard is firing another blast."

"It looks more like he's puking..." Coop observed as a large dark object bulged into the zilla's jaws, "Oh! He's passing a stone!"

"Never thought that I'd be saying this...but I was it were the other kind of stone..." Judau added as Burning Energy Godzilla launched an energy covered meteor at Liger, "BIT! You've got incoming!"

"Yeah...I know...I just don't care...right now..." An exhausted Bit muttered while Liger roared at the incoming meteor, "Leena's gonna kill me..."

"She can't do that if you're already dead!" Naota and Simon shouted while Gurren Lagann's drill struck the underside of the meteor and Kanti held back the rock with twin glowing red guitars. Right afterwards, Megas and Big O ran past Liger and raced to see who would punch the meteor first with the result of a tie. The meteor flew back towards the lizard like a cannon ball and stuck out the creature's thigh and it's left leg along with it. Causing the creature to fall on it's side and roar in anger.

"Guess the world...does have...some...love and peace." Bit replied in relief and heard a knock on his cockpit hatch, "You do know this is the middle of a warzone right?"

"A war implies that both sides have a chance of winning." Van answered before lowering a cannister of water into his friend's hatch, "And I have no intention of losing..."

"Incoming!" Several red crystals materialized above the gargantuan lizard that flew down towards Escaflowne and Liger. Dragonzord landed in front of the rangers and fired a series of missiles from it's chest that impacted and shattered projectiles like glass, "Nani?"

"How did you do that?"

"Oh that? These missiles were made from the same metal as my hull." Dragonzord answered while Burning Godzilla found itself bombarded from all sides by diverse strategic bombardment, "How do you think I got so hyper from the kid's green energy?"

"Your armor can absorb power?"

"Yeah! And I redirect it into my body and weapons."

"Neat..." Simon replied as a radiant lightbulb appeared above Gurren Lagann's head, "Are you still mad about your tail?"

"What about it?"

"You can grow things back right?"

"Yeah."

"So do you mind if I keep your tail?"

"Oh...YOU STOLE IT!"

"You were trying to use it kill my friends." Simon pointed out until he paled upon unconsciously calling Naota a friend, "I mean...my friend and Naota."

"Saved your ass twice and no respect..."

"Anyway...what would happen if I used a drill made from your tail against one of those attacks?"

"Your mecha would absorb and redistribute the power throughout it's structure-"

"Okay..." The lightbulb grew more luminous, "Hey Roger! Didn't you kill Dragonzord's brother?"

"I didn't know you could "kill" a robot-"

"Isn't your wife a robot?"

"She's an android Bit! There's a difference!"

"Alright robot-racist."

"So the mechagodzilla that you killed is still over there?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Gurren Lagann then folded out it's wings and took off in the direction of District 49 to the utter confusion of everyone on the field.

"Did Simon just pull a Shinji?" Said Jegan was immediately chopped in the neck and it's pilot rendered unconscious."

"Whatever he's gonna do...he better do it fast." Shiro stated as the Burning Godzilla projected a barrier of sheer increased heat against the multi-directional bombardment.

**xxxxxxxx**

"I'm starting to wonder if we're really helping anyone right now."

"What kind of talk is that Toji?"

"Kittan...it just shot out a meteor...formed from our energy." Toji explained while Mecha King rapidly clawed at the Crystal Dragon Zilla that seemed to be ignoring the damage to it's hide, "Maybe coming out to help was a mistake."

"We're here now so there's no point in whining..." Yugi answered as the area around the two mecha shifted and convulsed, "A fight inside and a fight outside...I wonder if Kaiba's doing anything useful?"

"Chances are that he's not."

"Truth be told, he's really not that much of a dick. Besides, with all of the money that he's spent on the city, I doubt that he'd just sit by and let it all burn."

**xxxxxxx**

"Kaiba! You must move more quickly-"

"This jet wasn't meant to haul the ass of a cybertronian trailer!" Seto shouted while his dragon jet hovered at a rapid pace, pulling a blue trailer on it's tail as a literal power struggle occurred fairly close to his trail, "After this, no one can complain that I don't do anything!"

"But normally-"

"Optimus...do you want me to put you back in the fish jar?"

"No..."

"Then shut up and let me drive!"

* * *

**The Mokuba Cave**

"Med Lab reports that Shinji wants to get out there."

"After he just got pulled from the literal brink of death? Ha! No." Mokuba stated to Kiyal while running through his computer's files to figure out the trajectory and timing of the Dividing Bullet crucial for the city's survival, "And put that suit down."

"What kind of suit is it?" Kiyal asked while folding up the black body suit, "A plugsuit?"

"That's what plugsuits where apparently designed from. It's a leftover from the tragically short-lived Jaeger Program." Mokuba explained, "That circuitry suit was designed to interface with the nervous system of the pilot. Allowing the pilot to feel everything the Jaeger did."

"Like Eva does?"

"Except the load was shared between two people and it had a precision-engineered poloycarbonite battle armor that enabled the pilot to survive the intense physical requirements of piloting a Jaeger and not going through the episodes that we always seem to have with Shinji and anyone else who steps in that monster."

"You mean the nervous fits?" Kiyal guessed while remembering Nia and Toji, "Nia always shook uncontrollably at random for a while after the Cyclopsis fight and Toji's arms jetter a lot too."

"Amongst other things."

"Why did you have this armor? Are you making a jaeger?"

"The jaegers were phased out for reasons other than upkeep." Mokuba said with a slight wimper and wearily held his hand out at a photo of the famous and posthumous Gipsy Danger, "I was really keeping the suit around for researching Animus-"

"You figured out a way to put Jaeger armor on an eva?"

"It was more about converting drivesuit armor into a nano-level layer on the plugsuits so that they can absorb the damage from eva's."

"That's good too...how came you haven't brought it up until now?"

"It's not finished..."

"You need to work on finishing things Mokuba."

"I know..."

"Also...it might not matter..."

"Why not?"

"Because I had Nia on the phone..."

"Why does that matter..."

"She's with Shinji." Mokuba palmed his face while Kiyal tilted her's in confusion, "What?"

"What part of not finished didn't you understand?"

"When was the last that an invention of yours had to be finished to work?"

* * *

**Command Medical Ward**

"Well I'm on my way to the Mokuba Cave," Shinji stated with a smile while cocking his pistol to the sudden horror of the doctors nearby, "Or am I the only one who doesn't want his city to be blown to kingdom come?"

"Why do you have a gun Shinja?"

"I don't know...it's not even loaded-" Shinji was corrected when he accidently pulled the trigger and the bullet proceeded to bounce off of every surface possible before hitting a metal marble that no one had noticed before, "Oh..."

"You should the gun down."

"Yes I should." Shinji agreed while putting the gun down, completely oblivious to the medical guards waiting nearby to tackle and restrain him, "Well I'm off to the Mokuba Cave."

"We can't let you do that-"

"Unless you want me to use my invisible gun." The guards immediately backed off while Shinji aimed his hand at them as if he were holding a pistol, "Heard about these have ya? I burrowed it from that Heero...at first I thought it was complete nonsense...but he did scare Lordgenome's scorpion bitch. So...go figure..."

"Major Ikari...it's not that we want to die...I mean! It's not that we want to hold you back...but the truth is that your friends don't need you, son!" The old doctor pleaded as Shinji put down his hand, "Don't throw your life away so pointlessly! I've seen that way too much..."

"Thank you...but I'm not planning on throwing my life away..."

"But you're barely well enough to stand Shinja." Nia pointed out while Shinji managed to hobble out of his room, "You're not going to listen to me are you?"

"You're not trying to stop me?"

"Mokuba's incomplete Jaeger suit should at least allow you to help the others."

"An Eva that's standing still can still use it's AT field...and...then there's Mecha Lord..."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I want to see her!"

"She's out of danger, but we need to study her wounds for better future treatment."

"Can at least talk to her! I'm the reason that she's-"

"Sorry ma'am...DF personnel only." The guard told Hikari as he guided her to the bench and gave her Noriko's singed jacket, "Hold on to it until she gets back alright?"

"Or as something to remember her with if she dies right?" The guard whistled as Hikari growled, "I've been in this position more than I'd like to, sir...you don't have to coddle me."

"Oh no! I'm not coddling you! If she was dying, I'd let you in the room with her."

"That's...minimally better."

"At least you can say good-bye and find closure." Hikari then burst out crying into her hands while the guard awkwardly looked around shaking his head, "I'm sorry...she's really going to fine! Noriko's a tough girl! Hell! She broke my ribs the other day in a friendly spar...without trying..."

"We're all gonna die!"

"Okay you've snapped...which is understandable..." The guard muttered to himself while the girl kept crying, "Would you like to call your mother?"

"My mother's dead."

"Do you a picture of a little brother that you'd like to look at?"

"He died in my mom's womb...his fifth birthday passed a few months ago..."

"Shit...I'm really bad at this..."

"Just go...you have more important things to do..."

"Yeah...I'll just go..." The guard replied while marching off and leaving Hikari on the bench with little to no life in her eyes or care of her surroundings.

"I'll just wait here then..."

"Wait for what?"

"To die...I don't know-" Hikari blinked multiple times as soon as she realized that Rei Ayanami was sitting next to her, "When did you get here?"

"In this city or here sitting next to you?" The First Child inquired to Hikari's rising fear and confusion. True, the girl had been earlier licked by a giant nuclear lizard, had been abducted by a robot wearing a trench-coat after being drugged by an overweight pedophile chef that Shinji stabbed and she was living in Angel Groove, the most unusual city in the modern age.

Yet here she was, creeped out by Rei's sudden and surprising presence.

And...her smile.

"Actually...it...probably doesn't matter." Hikari decided, "What are you doing here?"

"A puppet with strings can walk a little ways." Rei cryptically answered while pulling Hikari to her feet, "Where is Ikari-kun?"

"Shinji? He's...in intensive care."

"And you are here? Why are you not with Ikari-kun?"

"I was and then Noriko got hurt..."

"You heard the guard, Noriko will be alright. Do you know Shinji's condition?"

"No..."

"Then go find out." Rei told the utterly dazed school representative, "If you love someone, then you should be by them."

"He doesn't love me-" Hikari's cheek was red from the impact of Ayanami's swift smack and somehow soothed by the feel of her pale hand on the side of Hikari's face, "Rei...he-"

"Don't insult him by denying the truth." Rei sternly stated, "You love him and he loves you, despite how you believe that you do not deserve this. This love that you feel is truly selfless...don't let your hesitation kill it."

"What about you-"

"He choose you, that is what is important." Hikari thought that she saw a drop of liquid fall to the floor and gasped while Rei looked down in confusion, "If he were to choose me...he would become a puppet...just like me..."

"Are you in trouble?"

"When my role is at an end, I will be no more." Rei replied to Hikari's horror, though strangely worded, Hikari could guess enough to figure out that Rei's life was somehow in danger, "But if Ikari-kun can find happiness...then my end will be accepted...for in his strength will prevent all else from ending...He is to be made into the key to the doors of Guf. I do not desire those doors to be opened...nor to see him sacrificed. My end cannot be prevented...but his can."

"Can't I help you-"

"Help Shinji." Rei responded and puzzled Hikari even more by pulling her into an awkward but tender embrace, "That is all you can do to help me...help him...Tabris must not win."

"Who is-"

"Sayonara."

"Rei!" Hikari jumped off the bench as she woke up as the guard from before ran back to her, "Sir...did you see another schoolgirl here?"

"No..."

"A japanese schoolgirl with blue hair, red eyes and albino pale skin?"

"Not that particular combination, but..." The guard began listing off an uninteresting list of other hair, eye and skin color combinations that seemed odd to him. But Hikari was only focused on one small detail on the floor. A recent wet spot from a small spill of water.

Or a tear.

"Well...we're probably gonna die..." Hikari giggled to herself and then took off running with Noriko's jacket fastened around her waist and her handband tied on the shoulder, "But hell if I'm lying down like a beat-down dog!"

"Huh...guess I don't suck at prep talks." The guard muttered to himself after the pig-tailed blur had blazed down the hall, "Maybe I should go into counseling..."

* * *

**Command Center**

"Absolutely not!"

"Then give me an alternative! It's the only way for Unit 01 to be functional-"

"You were in the program Katsuragi! You know what it does to it's pilots!"

"If everything works according to plan then the Bridge won't cause anymore than a headache!"

"Ladies! Ladies!" Kaji shouted and broke apart Aina and Misato, "What are we arguing about?"

"The Colonel wants to use Mokuba's Jaeger Plug for Shinji and one other pilot to use Anima!"

"You said so yourself! If Shinji goes out in his current state then he'll die! This is the only way to use Anima and keep his heart from exploding!"

"What about the S2-"

"SHUT UP MOKUBA!"

"NO YOU SHUT UP! I'M CHARGE AND THIS IS MY CITY!" Mokuba roared back to the two women, his voice's volume loud enough to be heard throughout the entire command center and a little beyond, "The Jaeger Plug would probably work but there's three major problems."

"That's what I was getting to-"

"Gunbuster's taking a hit if I have to raise my voice again." Mokuba warned before the former Zeon Ace closed her mouth with unspoken protest, "As Mrs. Amada was about to say, the plug probably won't work for three reasons. One of which we can mitigate and the other two we can't control."

"Like what!"

"First off, the plug was not designed for use with ANIMA." Mokuba explained while a schematic of the feature in question appeared on the viewscreen, "As the Colonel would know, the Bridge Interface from the Jaeger Program was designed for the highly complex neural demands of piloting it's machines. It was designed so that two pilots could share an interface with something that would overload a single person."

"Eva on the other hand was designed with one pilot in mind."

"Exactly, having Eva be handled by two pilots when it was meant for one would mess with the synch ratio and make it less capable." Mokuba continued, "But..."

"You found a way about that?"

"Or a way to minimize the effects...another note that I wrote after the fight with Cyclopsis."

"Who?"

"No one important. What matters is that this first problem could be dealt with. But we have two problems that can't be negotiated with so easily."

"Like what?"

"One...we don't have anyone else who could successfully pilot ANIMA or safely synchronize with Shinji's mind."

"I get it..." Misato agreed while gritting her teeth, "Shinji wouldn't be a safe pilot..."

"Yeah...he's made improvements...but..."

"The only way for someone to synchronize with him is if they bring nothing with them into the Bridge...or if they're just as mentally burdened as Shinji is." Misato then slumped into a nearby chair and folded her arms over her busty chest, "In short...we're fucked."

"Pretty much."

"So..." Kaji "subtlely" pulled up a chair next to Misato and yawned while "subtlely putting his arm over her shoulders, "Any last requests before we all get-"

"The Jaeger Plug is docking with Anima!"

"Nevermind...we're gonna live..." Kaji muttered in disappointment and relief while taking out a beer bottle and opening it. While he drank, Misato gave him a silent blank stare, "What?"

"You have beer."

"It's my last one, I got it from the plane's refrigerator-"

"Give."

"Or what? You'll put an explosive collar on me?"

"You really think I'm that heartless?"

"I'm...not gonna answer that."

"This might not make anything better or worst but..." Maya began while reading over the schematics of Anima under maintenance, "Eva is growing an S2 organ."

"What." Misato and Kaji deadpanned at the same time.

"This is news to me too...then again, this must be why sempai laughed in my face..."

"Explain."

"Having a five minute time limit on the internal batteries of an eva always bugged me. After time runs out, the Angel will be free to hack and torture the eva and the pilot along with it." Maya started, "So I researched a few alternative fuels that would prolong the battery's combat longevity and came up with twenty different workable and viable fuel sources."

"That explains how you got Unit 03 working while we were in the desert."

"Kind of funny...because Sempai said that crude oil would make the Eva into a walking time bomb due to friction or something like that." Maya recalled with reluctant disdain, "But Neutron-Plutonium was the only objection that I agreed with her on...because of the nature of an evangelion."

"Kaiba fed the puppy power-thirst and now it's evolved into Entei." Kaji didn't alter his smile despite the looks of utter confusion that were thrown his way, "Don't tell me that there isn't a single pokemon fan in this room!"

"More importantly...Kaiba's ego has practically created an angel..."

"You did make a monster to fight a monster." Aina remarked to Misato's annoyance, "Yet, you're shocked when the monster became what it fought?"

"I've about had it with your shit, Zeon."

"And I can't wait till you leave my city Colonel."

"You hate each other...but I don't think he cares." Briefs pointed out just as a beam of radiated power passed over the Command Center and burned various air molecules in the sky above it, "Just keeping things in perspective ma'am..."

* * *

**District 16**

"Why did I skip breakfast today?" An exasperated Bit muttered while Liger leapt aside a raised crystal spike that radiated with red energy and exploded. Liger roared in pain while spikes of crystal were embedded into it's hull that melted and widened the damage, "Hell...I wish my dad was here..."

"Then call him."

"He's dead."

"Parent's die, you don't have to be pussy about it." Heero replied while Gundam Wing fired it's buster rifle at the legs of the rising creature of energy. The beam was unfortunately dissipated before it could hit the legs that were becoming increasingly deformed and anchored into the ground of the city, "It's reinforcing it's weaknesses'...anyone have a better idea."

"What does Zero say?"

"Zero has stated that we're screwed ever since this thing emerged."

"What about the 79%-"

"I lied."

"At least it was an honest lie..." Van said while Escaflowne raised its sword and slashed through another crystal meteor that attempted to destroy it, "What say you brothers? Shall we charge this fiend with death so certain? Death in defeat or death in victory?"

"Where's the option where we don't die?"

"I learned long ago that there is no such option." Van answered Roger, "That is the double-edge sword of war...those who fight in it have no choice or say in whether they live or die. By taking up the sword against your enemy, you have forfeited your own life for those who live by the sword and kill with the sword are fated to die holding that sword...upon that sword. We are defenders and we have placed our lives on the field as we take a shot at destiny. So how dare we ask whether we may live or die when we forfeited that choice by standing upon this field?"

"I for one would rather avoid loss of life if necessary. Especially since I plan to have dinner with my family and you have future wedding to attend."

"Yeah...and I have that S-Class Grand Prix that I want to dominate...that and I like making pies with Leena."

"You have pie?" Heero inquired, "Does it have cream?"

"Ah...yeah...but-"

"I want one."

"Why did I have to open my mouth?"

"What is wrong with making and sharing pies of cream with your beloved-" Van's eyes widened when realized exactly what Bit meant and began to uncontrollably shake, "Heero...I would suggest making your own...with your..." The laughter of Fanelia's king then broke throughout the comm.

"How uncivilized...it's not even that funny..." Roger noted while snickering to himself despite Big O's message, _"Ye Guilty."_

"What the hell is going on?" Judau curiously asked while linked to the rest of the struggling Defense Force, "You'll wake the Zabi's with that laughter!"

"Bit refuses to give me a creampie." Heero responded while Bit groaned in his cockpit, "I was going to pay and share it with everyone if it was big enough. Plus, you could taste the cream filling when it leaks out."

For the next few moments, the battle for Angel Groove's survival was brought to halt by an interlude of intensifying laughter from the entire Defense Force.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Either they've found a ridiculously easy way to win or they've snapped under the inevitability of their death..." Kaiba guessed that latter, but decided to give his unfunded Defense Force a benefit of a doubt, "Kaibaman to Hover 8, report."

"Mr. Kaiba?"

"Why is everyone laughing Michael? And why aren't you in a gundam?"

"It got trashed against Cyclopsis remember?"

"You think that's funny?"

"No..." Kaiba rolled his eyes in annoyance while Michael's laughter heightened, "Sorry sir...I'm just laughing about...Heero wanting a...creampie from Bit..."

"Oh..." Optimus thought out loud and then shook his head, "I don't get it."

"I'm too rich to care about pointless immature mishearing." Seto blunted while the laughter of his city's defense force rang in his ears, "How is that funny?"

"Take your pick sir. We're either a bunch of immature children in the bodies of men...or..." Michael chuckles soon became sobs, "We're gonna fucking die!"

"People die all the time, don't have to be a pussy about it."

"I was in the Unicorn's Charge before your asshole dad inseminated your mom!"

"The same asshole dad that funded your trip to candy mountain with charlie the unicorn?"

"Says the guy flying through a city in a jet shaped like a dragon!"

"But...I own this city and therefore, I can do whatever I want in said city. Meanwhile here you are...whining about dying like a little bitch." Seto replied, "So did you whine through Char's forces or drown them in a flood of your tears and cowardice?"

"Fuck you sir." Hovertank cut it's channel while Kaiba smirked in victory.

"However harsh, your motivational confrontation will serve him well-"

"Motivate him? He really did sound like a little bitch." Seto replied while a large humanoid machine was thrown onto the street with it's head bashed in. Kaiba lazily hauled the trailer to crush decepticon corpse under it's treads before coming to a stop, "I think your friend is nearby."

"You would be correct." The Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet turned it's head towards a mostly blue cybertronian warrior that marched towards it and Optimus' Red trailer as if in awe of Optimus' mediocrity or Kaiba's magnificence.

Seto bet on the latter.

"Optimus..." The warrior fell to a knee before the trailer as a panel opened to reveal the head of the former leader of the Autobots, "Oh Optimus...what did they do you..."

"It was neither decepticon nor human that robbed me of my body..." Optimus answered, motioning his fellow autobot to rise to his feet, "I am glad to see you again Magnus. For long, I feared that I was the last of our race."

"As long as one prime remains, Cybertron and it's people will never be lost."

"This is probably a touching moment between you two and you've probably haven't seen each other in ages, but my city is undergoing a celestrial meltdown so..." Seto casually looked towards the roaring lizard of pure energy in the distance that fired a radiated beam that obliterated a distant mountain range, "Whenever you're comfortable...don't let me rush you."

* * *

**Anima Hanger Bay**

"And that is why I do not recommend for you to reenter the field in Anima." The Head technician finished, after reading out a long list of technical and medical reasons why he technically wasn't allowed to let Major Ikari enter the Eva, "But you're going to listen to me, are you sir?"

"No. Is the Jaeger Plug ready?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I wasn't supposed to know?" Shinji asked with a raised eyebrow, "You'd fit right in with NERV-"

"That's low sir...that's really low..."

"Sorry...none of you are with Nerv." Shinji corrected while he finished fastening a strange armor onto his black and grey plugsuit. Immediately, Shinji could feel a difference, "Does this have an on board medical administration device?"

"That armor has a nano-monitor that enhances the wearer's natural regenerative abilities, believe it or not, the liquid was derived from modified LCL." The technician explained as Shinji stood up more easily to Nia's enlarged relief, "Don't get too confident though, you'll still be in the orange at best."

"I don't plan on being out for long-"

"INAZUMA...KICK!" Shinji continually blinked as he saw his girlfriend surf a man three times her size into the hanger until he skid to a halt. Hikari hopped off of the man while he shook and held himself in sheer terror, "That should teach you to touch a girl like that."

"Hikari..." Shinji said and looked over at the sobbing guard, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"I...just...told her...that this was...a...restricted...area..."

"You grabbed my wrist...it hurt!"

"Apologize to her."

"She just kicked through a door and skid my back along a reinforced metal floor-"

"You're right...I'm sorry sir..." Hikari bowed her upper body towards the still-paralyzed guard, "I was...in a hurry..."

"Is she Noriko's roommate?"

"Clearly..." Shinji answered as Hikari hurried towards him, "What are you doing here?"

"You're really asking that?" Hikari laughed while Shinji shrugged his shoulders, "After getting manhandled by giant lizards and decepticons before noon...I think I at least should know how my boyfriend is doing..."

"Apart from actually being a little scared out of my mind...I'm good." Shinji answered casually, as if he wasn't about to enter a killzone, "You?"

"I had to cancel a field trip on account of giant monsters, what do you think?"

"At least you and the kids are fine."

"I got a call from one of them...you're now their hero." Shinji gently smiled as Hikari embraced hi, "You better not be doing this to prove anything."

"What do I have to prove?" Shinji asked both himself and her, "Maybe I am a coward...a weak spineless little shrimp whose only fighting because he's scared-"

"Stop it!" Hikari wasn't going to let him run away from himself, "Don't lie. Don't say things that we both know aren't true. I can't say if you're being selfish or not. I'm not an eva pilot, I'm not even a pilot or a soldier...I'm just a school representative...I just want to make sure that you're not killing yourself because you feel like you have to."

"I'm not killing myself because I have to. I'm fighting to live because I want to." Shinji answered the girl, "To be honest...and I really hope he doesn't hear this...but Kaiba buying Eva...and "blackmailing" me...was the best thing that had ever happened in my life. For the first time...I feel happy. Unattached happiness...people care about me...you...Simon...Bit...Roger...Van...Heero...Kam ina...Nia...you...it's almost too holy for me to hold on to. Like it's a dream that I'll wake up from soon. If this place...and everyone it is just a dream...It's a dream worth keeping."

"You don't have to go out there...This isn't like in Tokyo-3...there are other people who can protect the city and you know it!"

"I know, but I want to be with them." Shinji simply replied, "Come on...for the first time...I feel like this is a true home. So why not protect it? But the choice to fight has to be mine and no one else's."

"You've already fought enough, why not let me-"

"Why bother asking? You know that I can't let you do that..."

"I know..." Hikari answered, knowing that was a battle she couldn't win, "Can you blame me for hoping? Can't I be the one protecting you?"

"Don't read too much into..." Shinji found himself laughing when he recalled the battle against the Kenzo Centaur, "I didn't even know you were in that train-" Shinji was then cut off from the last thing that he ever expected Horaki Hikari to do him.

She kissed him. A very passionate and tasteful kiss wherein Shinji inhaled Hikari's breath. A kiss that only lasted for five seconds to Shinji's silent disappointment, amidst his utter shock.

"That was for the second and third times."

"Hi-" She kissed him again and this time the embrace of lips and tongues lasted for thirty seconds, "What was...that...for?"

"Doesn't a hero deserve a hero's kiss?" Hikari asked, completely stunned by her own actions, "I won't keep you, go on...get dirty and fight the hard fight. But don't keep me waiting...or I'll grab a mobile suit and come out myself."

"Think you can manage to steal a gundam?"

"You know that answer..." Sadly, the Universal Wars demonstrated just how deceptively easy such a maneuver would be, "Good luck-" Now it was Shinji's turn to surprise himself, clumsily locking his lips onto hers and returning the favor for twenty seconds.

"That was for caring for me..." Shinji replied while his and Hikari's faces were redder than tomatoes "I won't keep you waiting...I...kind of...want to do this...more..."

"Then get out there..."

"They can wait a few minutes-"

"MY CITY IS ON FIRE YOU HORNY IDIOT! KEEP YOUR BELT ON AND GO SAVE IT!" Mokuba roared over the intercomm, essentially driving a knife through the atmosphere that distracted the tech crew from their very likely inevitable death."

"You heard the boss..."

"Alright...I'll have to wait until later-"

"Take this." Hikari slipped a small envelope to Shinji just as the ladder to Anima's pilot plug set into place behind him, "Ja-ne, Shinji-kun."

"Mata, atode. Hikari-chan..." Both dazed and motivated Shinji climbed up the ladder and entered the strangely designed interior of the jury-rigged plug from something called a Jaeger, "I wonder what she gave me?" The envelope was small and likely contained a photo, something for him to keep in his wallet or in the interface of the pod-

Upon actually seeing the photo, Shinji choose to keep it far away from where someone else could see it's contents.

"Damn it Shinji...what did you do?"

**xxxxxxxx**

"The hell's wrong with you Hikari?" Hikari asked herself while heavily breathing from the actions that she took just a few moments ago. Her breath only increased, when she saw Nia holding something in her hands, "What is that Nia?"

"A camera."

"Did you record-"

"Everything..."

"You're not gonna give that to the others are you?"

"I already stopped recording."

"Thanks Nia-"

"And the video was sent to the others as soon as it was stopped."

* * *

**Recovery Center**

As Hikari's scream vibrated throughout the entire command center, a heavily bandaged Noriko Takaya managed to laugh...

* * *

**District 16**

"This is a violation of the prime directive!"

"I know the prime directive more than you know the patterns of your spark!" Optimus countered the objecting Broadside, "This creature intends to bring about the end of the human species. We must assist them."

"Why? What if this is merely their natural fate?" Magnus pointed out, "Not all of them are alike, but for the most part...they are a selfish, hungry and violent race."

"What about all of those decepticon corpses?" Seto asked, bringing the two autobot's attention to the numerous dead or dying decepticons whose body littered this section of the District, "You really wanna talk about humans being violent? At least our wars don't last thousands of years."

"Are we so different, Magnus? Broadside?" Optimus consoled, "They have much to learn, but I have seen their capacity for goodness. I have seen their courage, their love, their passion, their spirit. Freedom and harmony are the rights of all sentient beings. For this reason, we must help the humans."

"Sentinel won't like this."

"I've been a head for fifteen years, Sentinel suck my lubricant exhaust."

"You don't have one."

"And you're adopted." Seto shrugged while Optimus called it even and focused on his fellow autobot brothers, "Broadside? What is your armament?"

"I'm currently stealth-mode with a Null-Ray Rail Cannon and various anti-missile, torpedo and aircraft countermeasures."

"When we're in position, fire the Rail Cannon at it's face."

"Always the face?"

"Yes..." Optimus laughed to Magnus' silent terror, "The humans will require the Magnus Hammer. You must fuse with my trailer armament and myself in order to get close to the monster and enter it's skull."

"It would be an honor to fight as one with you once more."

"And what am I doing?" Kaiba asked even though the answer was blatantly obvious, "Let me guess, I'm the glorified transportation that flies you into the heart of the beast?"

"Our combination form is capable of flight, but not against the intense pressure now surrounding that beast. We will need your neutron blast and the extra propulsion of your dragon jet to break through it's exterior." Optimus stated as the autobot icon appeared on his trailer, "We cannot waste time. Ultranus! Initiate the combination!"

"Of course brother!" Ultranus punched the icon and allowed for the trailer meticulously open various locks and panels, "A new model?"

"It's not finished sadly."

"It will due!" Ultranus' own body underwent a transformation, folding it's legs, arms and upper body into itself while attaching itself to the trailer. Said trailer latched a pair of large arms and a lower body onto the Prime as well as a large finned jetpack. After a moment, Optimus' head activated it's jetpack and hovered over his combining brother before a small drill from it's underside as it thrusted down. Ultranus head, folding into it's body as Optimus took it's place between the shoulders of the newly gestalted autobot.

"I feel...alive!" The machine spoke with the combined voice of Ultranus and Optimus, "Kaiba."

"Hold your parts." The Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet latched onto the machine's back and produced a pair of lengthened draconic wings and what appeared to some as draconic coat tails that slid down from the back and over the legs, "Now can we save my city?"

"Lets roll!" The Gestalt Prime declared before it blazed into the skies of District 16...

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Why aren't we winning anymore?"

"Because the crystal lizard is drawing on our energy to get stronger...how many times do I have to repeat it?"

"Then we need to get stronger!"

"Then he'll get stronger..." Aoi wasn't sure if he was more annoyed with Kittan's insistence that bigger and more power would be better even though the situation clearly showed otherwise, or from how the Crystal Godzilla had encased Mecha Wrecka's arm into a crystal body cast while it lazily slapped it with it's tail.

The beast was toying with them, as if it knew that it had won.

"Any ideas god of death?"

"Sorry what?" Duo had somehow preoccupied his mind with something clearly more important, "I don't know...unless one of you can grow an extra pair of arms...we're kind of boned."

"A lot of help you are!"

"Toji...can't Unit 03 regrow it's limps or make new ones?"

"Only in berserk-" Toji then slapped himself as remembered his Eva's trump card, "Brace yourselves everyone..."

"For what?"

"Entry Code B3."

"This better not be something weird!" Aoi stood corrected when Mecha Wrecka's shoulders expanded and allowed for the Super Gattai-Mecha to grow a pair of black armored organic arms that grabbed the lizard's jaws and broke them in half, "Now that I think about it...who am I to talk?"

"QUAD MAGNUM!" Mecha Wrecka gathered spinning golden energy in all four of it's arms and punched them into the lizard's chest to send it flying backwards and impacting the back of it's scarlet cage.

"Why didn't you lead with that?"

"Cause it doubles my nervous load as far as arms go...making me pretty sensitive and puts me into CONSTANT PAIN!" Toji yelled at Kittan as Mecha Wrecka broke apart Nirvash's surfboard to produce two oversized arm bracers upon the extra pair of arms and shattered the crystal mold, "On the bright side, my pecs are gonna be huge after this."

"Anyone else feeling especially aggressive?"

"Stupidly aggressive?"

"That's another downside to B3...it...pumps sheer adrenaline through your body-"

"IT'S AWESOME! LETS USE IT!" Kittan roared while four golden drills appeared on each forearm of Mecha Wrecka Gar and the machine was thrown into a mad charge at the recovering Crystal Godzilla, "FOUR SERVINGS OF KING KITTANS GOLDEN GIGA DRILL BREAKER BITCH!"

The Spiraling machine was brought to a halt by a stalagmite of hardened crystal that rapidly struck the side of the Gattai machine's head and spent it flying to the ground while it's energy drills dissipate and flowed into the Crystal Behemoth that practically laughed at it.

"Well...that happened."

"Let's just get up then-"

"We can't...Toji's out cold." Vega pointed out, drawing the group's attention to Suzahara who had just been knocked out by the direct impact to his Eva's skull, "So...let's just defuse, k?"

"I already threw De-Fusion into the Graveyard."

"WHEN?"

"I had more than six cards, I didn't think that I'd need it!"

"Considering that the temperature outside is roughly half of the surface of a star...defusing is the last thing that we want to do right now." Aoi calmly explained despite the dire situation, "This machine's energy and the AT field from Unit 03 are the only things keeping us from cooking right now."

"Then we need to wake up Toji-niisan!" Aoi declared while grabbing the collar of Toji's suit, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE...UP!"

"I don't think that's going to work."

"Maybe punching him will work-"

"If you want to cause permanent brain damage then yes it will."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Incoming." Heero reported as Winged Gundam halted the flaming projectile with an engraved circular barrier that emitted from the gundam's shield. The gundam then pointed it's beam rifle and fired off a beam that seared a sizable dent in the crystal meteor. Escaflowne leapt up and embedded it's blade into the dent and fired a pressurized force of air that broke apart the meteor, "Well done."

"You as well." Van complemented as three more crystal meteors materialized above the Burning Godzilla, "Your beam cannon is out of power...isn't it?"

"Yes."

"The Law of Murphy is a merciless antagonism."

"Sorry I'm late guys!" Simon shouted from the flying Gurren Lagann as it trailblazed back into the field leaving a path of silver and green energy before it destroyed one of two of the meteors and the last was halted by a punch from Big O and broken down by Megas and Kanti. As the rangers regrouped, Gurren Lagann landed before them now holding silver gauntlets on it's forearms, "Like my bling?"

"Bling?"

"Just a little something that I took from Dragonzord's bro." Simon explained as the gauntlets took on a fiery glow similar to the glow of the creature before them, "Watch this." Gurren's face opened it's jaws and proceeded to unleash a spiraling green and silver beam that destroyed one of the monster's arms to it's roaring protest.

"You stole the Plasma Grenade..." Dragonzord shook his head with a sign, "Grave robbing humans..."

"Please tell me that you can fire that more than once?" Bit was answered when Gurren Lagann knelt down with the Gurren component coughing up smoke and heavily breathing, "I'll take that as a no?"

"If Bro wasn't sleeping, I'd be able to use it more than once."

"Speaking of Kamina, how the hell is he missing-" Roger's expression grew grave upon observing Kamina's life readings, "Simon...I don't know to break to tell you this, but Kamina isn't going to-"

"Incoming Meteor Rain!"

"Shoot them down! We're being marked!" Roger ordered while the Rangers prepared to fire at the multiple crystal asteroids that the monster had created. But, Burning Godzilla did them a favor and shot them itself, "Why did it do that?"

"To shower us with lots of heated debris..." Dragonzord pointed out while a rain of fire descended on the rangers which each fragment somehow growing larger as they came closer to the ground...

* * *

**Command Center**

"Just lost contact with the Rangers!" A bridge bunny cried out while a huge heat signature blocked out the signals for the rangers.

"Life Support Readings disabled!"

"Energy Signatures scrambled!"

"We're gonna die!"

"Shut up!" Misato commanded, "Lieutenant Rayer! We need a visual on District 16!"

"Understood." The GM pilot responded while the bridged held it's breath, "Lots of smoke...switching to Energy Output scanner."

"We just lost the Rangers! What's going on?"

"We're trying to find out Shiro..." Aina replied, "Connect Rayer's visuals to the command center!"

"Done." Maya replied while the smoke covered region of District 16 came into view as a wasteland completely devoid of life. The burning demon could be seen firing beams in the distance at entrenched locations of DF artillery positions while an orange barrier could be glimpsed through the barrier, "Looks like Anima deployed..."

"I confirm."

"Thank you Rayer...get back our eyes in District 16!" Misato shouted, "What's the status on Unit 01's pilot?"

"He's stable and responding well to the Jaeger Interface."

"Vitals?"

"Improving...but nothing great."

"It'll due." _"I hate to see you out there Shinji...but you've chosen to fight. Don't let us down."_

* * *

**District 16**

"Out of the ward early Shinji?"

"You guys looked like you were fun out here." Eva Anima's AT Field remained intact, further supplemented by Dragonzord's energy and Escaflowne's barrier, "So what's the current situation?"

"See the nuclear formed lizard?" Naota asked as all hands pointed to Burning Godzilla, "It's going to self-destruct soon and take the whole continent with it."

"Toji, Kittan and the others formed another Gattai-robot that's fighting a smaller crystal godzilla...and their fight made that thing." Bit added, "Which means close-quarters is out of the question, we don't want to make the city a grave of the fireflies...which is why we've been on the defensive for a while."

"Hopefully Mokuba told you something and gave you something resembling a plan?"

"Well...he did install a Dividing Bullet into the right shoulder of my eva." Shinji replied, "That's about it though and he also recommended that we combine as soon as possible."

"Didn't combining lead to this crisis in the first place?"

"So it couldn't hurt." Simon answered Naota, "Combine?"

"COMBINE!"

"Mecha Lord FINAL FUSION!" Unit 01 flexed it's arm as if to psych up it's body. It's AT field changed to a green color and expanded out into a green dome that encompassed the entire team and inexplicably repaired any damage that they sustained.

Big-O blew out it's pistons as its legs were brought into it's body to form a chest-piece and arms for Eva to fit on.

Liger Zero roared as it combined it's legs together and became a set of legs for Eva to leap into and connect with.

Escaflowne turned into a draconic shape that wrapped around Eva's waist and melded into the Unit to form into upper legs and lower torso armor complete with a draconic tail.

Gurren Lagann leapt up and landed on the Eva to form flame detailed shoulder plates on Eva's arms and an armor piece that grew down over Eva's exposed back and upper chest. A mass of red spiral energy covered over Eva's head and faded into a red helmet that bore a crescant shaped emblem on the front of the helm that lightly connected with the original horn of Eva.

Wing Gundam shifted into a bird mode that flew up and latch onto the back and formed into a thruster pack complete with a set of long wings. A pair of white shoulder pauldrons layered onto the shoulders as the shield flipped over onto Eva's chest to become an long breastplate that extended down to the torso.

Megas reeved it's engines and shifted it's own components. Allowing the Xtra Large Robot to form onto the Gattai-Mecha's legs and hips and increase it's height by 10 meters. The back of the mecha's hull then opened to expose a long line of needlessly powerful thrusters.

Dragonzord opened up it's parts and latched onto the Gattai-Mecha's chest. Bulking up both the shoulders and the chest area while it's tail combined with Escaflowne's sword and Anima's glaive to form a large double-bladed sword with one half forming a double-edged blade and the other being a spiraling drill.

Kanti leapt onto Gurren Lagann and smashed it's double-head guitar on the machine's horn and then combusted into fire that covered the entire head of the Super Gattai-Mecha. The horns of the mecha were now aflamed by pure red fire and in addition had grown a pair of flamed wings which arched up on either side of the newly born Gattai Mecha.

"MEGA MECHA WING DRAGON BREAKER LORD! ACTIVATE!" The newly christened Super Gattai-Mecha dispelled it's energy barrier and roared at the destabilizing behemoth standing in the distance before it.

* * *

**Command Center**

"That's Mecha Lord?" Misato smirked with impression and utter relief, "We're not out of the woods yet."

"Patch the Colonel over to the Rangers." Aina commanded and nodded towards Misato, "You have the comm."

"Got it." Misato looked upon the viewscreen where the faces of many individuals looked back at her. Most of whom were less than happy to see her, but at this moment, she didn't care. She didn't have that luxury, "I know that I'm not the most popular person in this city right now. I've made many mistakes and have been an accomplice to actions that many of you do not like. With good reason."

"But that's not why we're all here. We're here to defend your home and kick that blazing sun of a bitch out of your city. It's large, it's strong and it's powerful." Misato stated, "So let's go kill it!"

"HELL YEAH!"

"The Dividing Bullet is currently in the possession of the Rangers and we've only got one shot at making it work." Misato continued, "Until it's ready to fire, I need all long-range artillery to distract it's attention, obscure it's vision or anything else you can do to buy the rangers time."

"So do what we've been doing for a while? Only make ourselves easier targets?"

"Exactly."

"Misato...they'll all die if they do that-"

"Shinji, if they don't then all of us will die."

"She's right...everyone knew what they were getting into..." Shiro reluctantly agreed with his wife exhaling heavily, "Don't worry about us. The Guntanks are heavy bitches, they won't go out quietly."

"I hear that Kaiba has a plan to get the core ready to be destroyed, but we can't rely on a wild card until it goes into play. Understood?"

"HAI!"

"You know your drill better than I do...get to it."

* * *

**District 16**

"Ah! I wanted to smash things!" Coop complained within the joint cockpit of the newly formed Super Gattai-Mecha, "How did we get in here-"

"Stuff happened, we're here...deal with hit." The rangers all replied while Simon was looking around for something.

"Where's bro?" Simon asked while looking towards where Kamina usually sat and found Naota leaning back instead, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm part of the crew." Naota smirked while Simon fumed, "This more comfortable then being inside of Kanti..."

"Technically we're inside of all of the component mecha." Heero corrected, "But that's not important right now. Bit? How long until your team's Hover Cargo can arrive?"

"ETA...now?" Bit answered as a large Hover Cargo rolled up behind the Gattai-Mecha, "Doc! What took you so long?"

"STOP BEING A BRAT! My dad owns the thing!" Leena loudly chided, "Besides...between Leeron, Dad, Aina and Mokuba...it was a hell of a time to retrofit this thing for what you want it to do!"

"Because it was complicated as hell?"

"Because the smartasses couldn't agree on how to get it done!"

"I thought the Hyper-Compensational Discharge Nexus would've been much more efficient-"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU! BY THE TIME WE GATHER ANY ENERGY, MY CITY WILL ALREADY BE A SMOKING CRATER!" Mokuba roared at Dr. Tauros over the comm, "Leeron's idea is more adaptable and doesn't take in more energy than needed! End of discussion!"

"For now."

"Sounds very important...except it isn't." Roger added while Mecha Lord leapt onto the opened hatch within it's configuring blue shell, "Load the bullet."

"Loading." Mecha Lord placed Wing Gundam's buster rifle into a raised upperatus and watched as the Dividing Bullet was loaded into it's empty cartridge, "Load complete, charging in sequence."

"How long will that take?"

"It'll be done when it's done..." Tauros answered while parts of the Mecha Lord connected to Gurren Lagann and Dragonzord began to glow and the mecha's gauntlets spun in place, "If you'd like to speed things up then please place one arm into the ignition platform coming your way."

"You mean this one?" Simon asked while it's left arm was slammed into an arm mold and began circulating energy throughout the Hover Cargo, "Now what?"

"Forming the Titan Cannon." Heero raise an eyebrow while his buster rifle was systematically deconstructed and reconstructed into a larger cannon that mounted onto Mecha Lord's right shoulder and a targeting apparatus appeared in front of every pilot's console, "Now we play the waiting game."

"Guys..." Van didn't need to say anything more, all of the rangers could see the all too familiar mask that was forming upon each shoulder of the energy lizard, "Enoch wants to play..."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Seto?"

"Now I see why it's legs are burrowing into the ground..." Seto said with a serious tone, while Ultra Optimum flew towards the lizard and saw the same mask with the same design as the one that had possessed Jet Alone, "It needs to die."

"I thought that was already settled."

"Now it really needs to die." Ultra Optimum swerved to avoid a meteor that was thrown in it's direction and had it's hull illuminated by the explosion that followed, "And we don't need to be hit by one of those things."

"Agreed." Draconic cannons mounted upon the autobot's shoulders that fired a searing hole through the next meteor that was thrown in it's path. The mecha flew through and managed enter the radiated perimeter of the lizard, "Broadside!"

"What exactly does a null ray do?"

"It will disable any thing with an electronic current upon impact."

"Does that include us?"

"Autobots have long since shielded their hulls with layers of nano-rubber to protect against EMPs."

"Good for you..."

"Since we are one, your dragon jet should be alright." Optimum confided though he seemed unsure himself, "It has never been tested."

"Firing." At that very moment, a stream of electric-charged plasma energy impacted the spine of the energy creature at speeds exceeding Mach Seven and caused Burning Godzilla to cry out in utter pain, "Awaiting Impact confirmation."

"Confirmed...creature growing silent-" Optimum was cut off when it was sent into a spin by a blast from the recently appeared mask upon the slumping creature's shoulder, "Save for an annoyance."

"Go through it."

"Kaiba, we don't know what that mask is made from-"

"You're not being given a choice." Seto blunted while his Dragon-jet overrode the flight controls of the gestalt Autobot and flew towards the monster's shoulder, "So...get busy shooting or get busy dying."

"Very well...those masks are generating a forcefield anyway." Optimum conceeded as it flew towards the first mask and under Kaiba's control avoided the pulse beams that were being fired from the eye within the mask. The Autobot brought out a set of massive Gatling Cannons which it fired in conjuction with the Dragon Jet's Neutron Blast to negate an attack from the mask and impact the fragile addition. Before it had a chance to recover, Optimum proceeded to focus energon around it's armor and transformed it into a flying bullet which broke through the mask's eye and entered into the matter of the creature.

"Yeah...is it hot to anyone else..." Optimus' laughter told Seto that his lack of air conditioning was low on the priority list, "Note to self...don't install enhanced coolant within new body."

"I can eject you at any moment that I want."

"You won't though."

"Damn...he's right..." Optimum flew out on the otherside of the energy creature, breaking it's other mask in the process though it appeared as though they were beginning to recover, "We must hurry."

"Wow! Galaxy's greatest detective!"

"You will give me silence!" Optimus commanded in a fierceness that actually made Seto pause while the gestalt autobot flew up the momentarily stunned lizard's head and produced a pair of heated arm blades, "And you..."

"I don't think we need to go that way-"

"GIVE ME YOUR FACE!" Optimum then proceeded to stab the scales of the giant nuclear energy lizard and ripped open two large pulsing folds on the creature's upper face, "Rangers. We are in position!"

"So you're the one whose kept us from being utterly raped in our helpless situation." Yugi said over the comm as Optimum entered the opening and landed next to a massive four armed Super Gattai-Mecha that was on it's back, "So...what's the plan Kaiba?"

"I'm not Kaiba."

"Who else flies around in a jet shaped like a Blue Eyes White Dragon?" Yugi asked Not-Seto as Mecha Wrecka's eyes regained their glow and began to rise, "Seriously Toji! What took you so long to wake up?"

"My head...I feel I...got jolted or something..."

"You were...the null ray can also reactivate disabled machines and resuscitate unconscious organics."

"That's strangely convenient." Duo noted as the red scales around them began to increase their glow, "But we're running out of time, so I hope you have a plan."

"Well...the Nerv Colonel came up with an idea where they fire a Bullet capable of creating and collapsing time and space into Burning Godzilla's core. That way, we can kill the beast without being subjected to a supernova."

"Simon-Niisan and the others will handle firing the bullet?"

"Yes Lion-Boy, yes they will." Kaiba explained, "So what I need Optimus to do is to form his Magnus Hammer so that Yugi's pale imitation of my awesome Mecha Lord can use it. First the Imitation has to pull out the core of the crystal dragon godzilla so that the team on the outside will have a clear shot. Once the Dividing Bullet impacts the core, then you use the Hammer to activate the bullet and throw this lizard into another dimension."

"So kill it?"

"Yes. Kill it."

"The Magnus Hammer will take some time to actually complete..." Optimum stated before he began his transfomation sequence, "Hopefully, you will ready when we are."

"Do we have anything that can take out that core?"

"OVER KING! HELL...AND...HEAVEN!" Mamoru shouted as Mecha King began to charge a large amount of energy around it's gauntlets, "Once I'm fully charged...I'll break my hands together and that should keep the godzilla in place while we rip into it's chest and pull out it's core."

"Then we can use our extra pair of arms to swing the hammer after the others pull the trigger."

"That sounds anti-climatically easy-"

"I will need time."

"How time little lion-boy? Kaiba will be more than happy to help us!"

"I don't recall ever volunteering-"

"Just sixty seconds..."

"Again...very easy..."

"But considering that this lizard could thrash anyone of us in less than ten seconds-"

"What Aoi means that you'll be fine Kaiba!" Yugi cut in while Kittan found himself attempting to pry a Kuriboh from his face, "You'll kick it's ass! No problem!"

"Even though I have no reason to trust you Yugi...I'm going against all common sense and my own loathing of you to buy you time to save my city." Seto declared while his Dragon Jet roared and flew towards Crystal Dragon Godzilla, "Then I'll sue all of your asses for ten districts worth of property and collateral damage."

"Why are we helping him again?"

"We're not helping him. We're helping his city filled with nice people." Vega replied to Aoi, ignoring the skirmish that occurred between the Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet and Crystal Dragon Godzilla, "Including my teammates who I love like family."

"And that hot bridge bunny..."

"She...likes girls Kittan."

"I like girls too! That's just something for us to talk about-"

"SHE'S GAY OKAY?" Toji shouted, again ignoring the epic skirmish between the Crystal Dragon and the White Dragon, "SHE IS GAY!"

"Gay huh..." Kittan nodding in understanding before smiling, "Of course she's gay! Who wouldn't be gay when King Kittan comes around!"

"How..."

"Doesn't gay also mean carefree and happy?" Aoi asked while Toji slapped his own face, "Not around here..."

"Dear lord...how I do I get through to this meat head?"

"More importantly...why is Kaiba still alive?" Yugi inquired while being the only one to legitimately watch the dance of dragons, "How the hell is that little jet still intact."

"You mad bro?"

"A little bit Duo...but more importantly...I see a thread unwinding..." Yugi pointed out as a neutron blast seared off part of the Crystal Godzilla's face, "The only reason that we fused was because individually...you were all getting bent over and spanked in the ass until it felt good. But here...Kaiba's fighting equally with this beast with his dragon jet...while godzilla is being enhanced by both it's own energy and some of ours!"

"Maybe Kaiba used all of that money for something useful afterall."

"I have three more likely answers." Yugi offered, "One, Toji's earlier concussion has actually thrown us all into a delusional coma."

"We checked our totems...we're awake."

"This beast did something that made Kaiba personally invested in it's death."

"Or?"

"Kaiba's ego is a real thing!"

"NO ONE FUCKS MY CITY!"

"Or...b and c?"

"TAKE ALL OF MY HATE AND CRAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!" Kaiba shouted as the Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet emptied it's reserves of Neutron Energy in a beam struggle with Crystal Godzilla. The struggle ended in with the dragon jet winning and breaking open part of the creature's crystal chest, "Don't tell me it hasn't been sixty seconds. I've been counting."

"How long do you have?"

"Five minutes...you were trying to kill me weren't you?"

"Well...if you died...you wouldn't be able to sue us."

"Mokuba would." Yugi paled when he realized what would happen if Seto actually died, "Yeah...killing me would be a big mistake."

"Gemu Giru Gan Go Gufo..."

"Based on Mamoru's rising hot bloodedness...I'd say we're almost ready to end this fight!" Vega declared as Mecha King's vibrant arms prepared to lock it's hands together. The other set of arms also hauled a newly formed cybertronian hammer in place, "Thanks for helping Mr. Kaiba."

"I'm still suing you." Kaiba reminded the pilots of Mecha Wrecka Gar as the Super Gattai's hands locked together. As a result a large electromagnetic tornado oddly similar to the fusion tornado warped around Crystal Dragon Godzilla and bound it within a heavy gravity lock.

"Vitas!" Despite the nuclear pulse that radiated out from the oversized lizard, Mecha King Mecha Wrecka Gar smashed its jointed fists into it's foe's chest and ripped through to the core. The lizard's form began to deteriorate as Mecha King violently tore out a crystalline red core from the monster's chest and Mamoru roared as he held the core above his head in victory.

"So dwibs...as soon as it's convenient. Waste this bitch."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"They got the core!"

"We can't fire yet...the driver isn't charged." Roger stated as the Nuclear Lizard in the distance appeared to be losing it's shape due to an internal disturbance, "How much longer?"

"60%"

"Only sixty percent?"

"This is why I wanted to use the Drill Redistribution Trench, Tauros-"

"Leeron...the resultant blast would leave a galactic scar in the Andromeda Nexus."

"Only if you don't miss."

"No...it won't matter..."

"At least Leeron made a friend." Simon commented with a smile, "Just wait till Bro hears about this."

"I thought the giant monster would be the worst part of the day..."

"Roger? What are you talking about?"

"Come to think of it...Kamina's been pretty quiet." Shinji said with concern, "Is he still in Gurren?"

"He's taking a nap."

"A very long nap."

"He does this a lot Roger." Simon answered, completely oblivious to the grave look that Roger exchanged with Heero and Van, "I'll wake him up after the fight."

"If we make it to the end of the fight."

"As long Enoch doesn't have any other ideas up it's sleeve then we should be just fine." Bit stated as Burning Godzilla fell on all fours and it's throat expanded like a filled sack, "Me and my big mouth..."

"Yes...you and your big mouth..." Everyone else agreed as Burning Godzilla unleashed it's Dominance Breath in the direction of the rangers. Scorching the entire eastern section of District 16 in the process.

* * *

**Command Center**

"The life signs of half of the DF personnel in the area just went dark..."

"Yeah...we're boned."

"Wait!" Misato shouted, the display clearing to reveal the monster's beam being diverted away from the rangers, "We still have a chance people!"

* * *

**Rangers Hanging on a Prayer**

"Hitomi?"

"AIM!" Hitomi painfully cried while Rising Gundam held back Crystal Zilla's beam with glowing red hands, "DON'T FIRE UNTIL I SAY SO!"

"Who put you in command, young lady?"

"I CAN SEE THE FUTURE!" Hitomi shouted to Roger's mild surprise, "YOU'VE ONLY GOT ONE SHOT TO MAKE THIS WORK! IF YOU FIRE ANY SOONER OR LATER THEN I SAY THEN WE'RE ALL SCREWED GOT IT?"

"Believe her!" Van said to his companions while Mecha Dragon Lord's energy readings reached 80%, "I know that you have no reason to trust this, but what is the alternative?"

"Wait until it reaches 100%." Heero countered, "Then we fire-"

"NO!" Hitomi shouted amidst her struggle, "ALL I CAN SAY IS NOT TO FIRE UNTIL I SAY SO!"

"How do we know that you'll be alive when this opportunity comes?"

"YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TRUST ME!"

"Believe in the me that believes in you..." Simon said to himself, "Alright! We won't fire until you say Hitomi!"

"Kid..." Bit began and heard Liger growl at him, "I know...alright kid...I'll believe..."

"That woman will be wife soon, of course I believe."

"Against every rational conclusion, I will believe."

"Believe...I can't believe in myself but..." Shinji still tasted Hikari's breath in his mouth as he found himself smiling, "They believe in me...so I'll believe in them."

"DON'T STOP BELIEVING!"

"I'm kicking you out of my city if you start singing." Kaiba warned Coop, Jamie and Naota before they could continue their song, "I'll believe..."

"Thanks Kaiba-"

"In my ego."

"That's as good as I expected..." Bit muttered as the pressure around Mecha Lord began to build despite Rising Gundam's efforts, "Hey Hitomi...are you still going to be able to tell us when to fire?"

"MY HANDS ARE ON FIRE! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT I'M GOING TO PASS OUT?"

"That kind of makes it more likely..."

"You just said that you would believe!"

"NOW DAMN IT!" Hitomi screamed as parts of her tightsuit were shown to evaporate along with portions of her gundam's armor, "FIRE NOW!"

"XLR CANNON FIRE!" All pilots declared as Mega Mecha Wing Dragon Breaker Lord focused all power into it's armor and fired a condensed orb of white energy out of the Titan Cannon. The orb was no smaller than a base ball yet flew forth with speeds exceeding the speed of light by at least ten times. Burning Godzilla's beam was immediately parted as easily as a steak knife cuts through the skin of a hot dog, seared a hole through it's chest and embedded itself into the red core in Mecha King Mecha Wrecka Gar's hands...

**xxxx**

Using it's readied secondary pair of arms, Mecha King concentrated all of it's remaining strength into the unarmored arms that held the Goldion Magnum Hammer and swung at the white dot that had struck the core which it held. The effect of the attack was practically instantaneous as a crack in the air appeared around the core that instantly expanded. Now Crystal Zilla and it's core floated within a small spatial trench.

As Crystal Zilla prepared one final attack even in it's dying moments, the orb changed shape into a rocket powered drill that grew to a length and width of 600 meters before firing into the beast and pushing it and it's cracked core further into the newly created abyss.

Said abyss then compressed down to the size of a 20 meter glass box that hovered above Mecha King and practically imploded upon itself in a blinding flash...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Five Chapters dedicated to a single monster encounter...**

**That was actually more fun than I initially thought that it would be.**

**Next chapter will be a combination of an epilogue to the Zilla Wars and the first part of a bridge towards the finale of the first season of MMMR.**

**ANTI HIKARIxSHINJI FLAME SHIELD ACTIVATE!**

**Seriously though, I felt like I'd milked that little ship tease for long enough and decided to just make the couple completely official. In this continuity, Hikari will be the girl for Shinji and that'll stick for the foreseeable future. I know that there are some who like ReixShinji or AsukaxShinji or even Shinji with Kawaoru and Misato. To each their own, but this pairing is kind of an underdog even though Hikari canonically crushes on Toji and I just went with it since Hikari's emotional and mental baggage would be pretty light compared to Rei or Asuka's.****  
**

**In fact, to Rebuild 3.0's credit...the relationship between Shinji and Kawaoru was the best highlight of the story whether you interpreted their bond and friendship as a very strong friendship (Think Sora and Riku or Frodo and Sam) or as a romantic one (The one that fans obsess over more than they should).**

**If there was a ship that I had a problem with...it would be AsukaxShinji. There are plenty of stories that make it work without making Shinji or Asuka into placated obedient dogs...but maybe that's because I didn't like the character of Asuka in the original series.**

**That's not why I've put into Asuka into the role that she has in this story before you even ask.**

**No further thoughts, except thanks for reading and stay tuned for more.**


	25. After the Storm

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_It's over!_

_The Zilla Wars are finally over!_

_Crystal Dragon Godzilla creates a nuclear mobile armor that threatens to destroy all of North America if Misato's ludicrous and complicated plan fails! No worries! It's not as though every necessary component of the plan is scattered across the entire city...oh wait it is._

_Kaiba must use his jet to haul Optimus' incomplete trailer to reunite the Autobot leader with his successor._

_Meanwhile, Mecha Wrecka Gar has to keep itself from dying while also preventing the crisis from getting worst._

_The Rangers must use teamwork and desperate coordination to keep themselves in the fight._

_Shinji has to stand up out of a hospital bed and get through the waves of people who actually care about him._

_If this were any other combination of pilots, this plan would fail horribly. But it works! Mokuba scraps together a suit stolen from some guy named Del Toro and gives to Shinji so that he can pilot Eva and allow the Rangers to form another ultra-powerful form of Mecha Lord._

_Meanwhile, Kaiba's jet combines with two autobot primes and manages to destroy three faces before meeting up with Mecha Wrecka Gar. The autobots form into Mjornir, Mecha Wrecka Gar goes Kalima on Crystal Dragon Godzilla, Mecha Lord shoots it with an oversized gun thanks to an opening provided by Van's telepathic fiancee, and Wrecka Gar rips open another hole in the dimensional realm._

_So...now what?_

* * *

**Command Center**

"Seto? Rangers? Officers? Someone come in!" Mokuba now stood anxiously in front of his brother's chair, Kiyal had her hands on his shaking shoulders as the Command Staff waited for any news, "You better not be dead you free loading asshole!"

"You need to send search and rescue teams..." Misato stated and unsurprisingly, no one was listening to her, "It was a one in a million shot, but at least we're not dead-"

"You killed my brother you big-boobied bitch!"

"You can only speak now because of my plan..."

"Misato...just quit while you're behind." Kaji recommended while the Colonel stared ahead at the blank screen, "Emotions are kind of raw-"

"I just helped save their city and now they want to admonish me when sacrifices are made?"

"Somebody shove an apple in her mouth!" Aina roared with tears streaming from her eyes, "I don't want to hear any talk about "the wall" or about the greater good! My husband may be dead for god's sake!"

"Surprised that life isn't fair Sahalen? You of all people should know that by now-"

"I'm talking about showing some humanity...like the type that you claim to be protecting!"

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" An enraged and sobbing Mokuba demanded...he heavily breathed as Kiyal embraced him from behind with a tear flowing down her own face, "I wanted to be president...but...not like this..."

"Mokuba...I'm sorry-"

"Is my little brother crying?" The heavy tone of sorrow turned into triumph when Seto Kaiba appeared on the screen, his dragon heavily dented and scratched...but otherwise looked like it was in much better shape then Mecha Wrecka Gar, "I thought you wanted to run my company?"

"After I win it from you fair and square big brother!" Mokuba happily shouted as the Deck erupted in celebration, "How's the situation on the ground? Where's Optimus?"

"I am alright." The Autobot head stated from the top of it's trailer, "The long-range communications of the Rangers were heavily damaged by the battle, but I can confirm that all of them made it through."

"Status of the DF divisions?"

"Some of the suits are totaled, but all survivors are accounted for..." Shiro tiredly called into the Command Deck, "Sorry for scaring you Aina..."

"That makes us even for Side 8."

"Come to think of it...yeah...it does..."

"Mokuba, get the tech and maintenance crews to bring all divisions in for repair and medical treatment." Seto stated while stepping onto the smoking soil where the Crystal Dragon Godzilla had nearly destroyed his city, "And patch me through to the entire city."

"You're live now Seto."

* * *

**Angel Groove**

"Thanks Mokuba." The President of Kaiba Corporation rubbed his eyes and yawned a yawn that was heard in every major broadcast unit of every district in Angel Groove, "Citizens of Angel Groove, I'm probably being a huge pest in whatever you were doing when I decided to talk to with you. You've likely heard of the roars and the destruction that recently plagued the western quarters of our home. Some of you were sent to shelters where you've been stuck ever since without any idea as to why you are there while others...are standing in the wreckage of what was once their home."

All of District 16 was naught, but a wasteland with only imprints for any indication of society. Other districts hit by the disaster were barely in better shape with some lacking any standing structure that was higher than ten feet.

"Some of you have lost friends, family...limbs...sanity...money...things that cannot be easily replaced. While I can give you some of my money and rebuild your homes, I can't give you back the loved ones that were horrifically killed during this dark event. This situation has pushed our city to the edge and to the limits of our capabilities. We were divided and our enemies believed that through division comes conquest. They thought they could tear apart this city piece by piece and then excrete them onto our burnt corpses. They thought that divided, we are weak and easy prey to be played with and devoured."

In District 42, civilians emerged from shelters and gathered together. In their circle lied the rapidly decaying corpse of the nuclear reptile that had driven them from their homes. It lied upon it's back, it's chest clawed open as if by a hungry beast.

"It's a good thing that my city's filled with winners like you, or they'd be right. But they're not." Seto walked a distance from his jet towards a pale white piece of debris from the Burning Godzilla. He then kicked the debris onto it's side and proceeded to rapidly stomp on it until it was nothing more than white dust, "YOU CAN'T KILL A DRAGON IN IT'S OWN DEN!"

Though craters and trenches created by the conflict smoked in the aftermath, the kings and gods of beasts now lied dead within their city. Some in the same state as the corpse in D 42 and others in worst states to where they could only be identified by memory.

"What they forgot is that this is my city. Did they really think that I'd let losers live it in? Weak pathetic losers who don't have any willpower of their own? Losers who stand and shake like wimps when the hordes attack from without? Losers without any skill in life other than to munch on the the achievements of others? Losers whose only strength comes from leeching off of others? Losers who run like pussies when the wind grows too strong? Losers who bow on their faces and let the hounds hump them in the ass? Losers. The most vile and worthless human beings in the world. People who just lie down and let themselves get drenched in urine, then complain and scream at the urinators to stop. Gee...wouldn't it be better to move or...punch them where it hurts?"

In District 33, the Newgate Academy reopened it's windows while the many who had taken shelter there began to emerge outside. In the distance could be seen the smoke from the ruin of the western districts.

"Thankfully, you're not losers. Even though the invaders attacked us at our weakest points, we beat them. Sure, a lot of people died...people that you cared about...maybe even loved. But that's life isn't it? One way or another it will end...someone can stab you with a knife or you'll get old and die under some sheets. You might as well go out like a boss! Just like those who died to defend my city...to defend your home. They died like bosses because they lived to the fullest and were therefore ready to meet their deaths. Either under a sheet or when someone stabbed them with a knife."

DF members and volunteers began the morbid duty of sorting through the dead. Already many hundreds of bodies had been lined and covered with a sheet bearing the emblem of the stalwart angel. Despite how horribly some bodies were found, they could still be identified by close friends and comrades. Men and women who now sobbed and mourned in groups taking comfort in their mutual grief and bitter joy to be alive.

"But the dead don't drink that's what I'm going to do and you should join me. Because we won and winners celebrate when their victorious. Rebuild your homes, get back your money, mourn your dead...but don't you forget...WE WON!"

The people cheered.

Cheering the cheer of victorious men.

The storm of beasts had broken and even then another storm gathered around the city, lightning flashing in the distance to declare the coming rains.

But the people would welcome the storm.

* * *

**District 16 Ruins**

"Bro?" As his heart restarted itself, Kamina opened a single eye and saw Simon looking at him, "Had a good nap?"

"Would've been great if it had been longer..." Kamina admitted while pulling himself out of Gurren's cockpit and emerging into a heavily scorched plain, "Simon...what the hell did I miss?"

"Awesomeness...we killed godzilla."

"Kick ass..." He rubbed his face and punched himself in his now healed scar above his heart and epically belched, "Been holding that in since the Mega-Slush-"

"Really? Where did you get that!" Coop called from the top of Megas, "I've been looking all over this city!"

"Gas Station in District 33...ever heard of Hell Shell?"

"Don't do it man! Their gas prices are robbery!"

"Name one fuel station on this world that is not robbery!"

"At least those don't burn out my nostrils..." A tired Bit noted and picked out a black strand from his hair, "Yeah...I really pushed my limit."

"We all did." Roger related while wringing out his overcoat, "Hey Bit...do you or Dr. Tauros mind repairing Big O...Dragonzord's brother somewhat tore apart it's hull."

"That other machine? We weren't built by the same guy!" Dragonzord protested while Eva and Gundam Wing ominously eyed it, "Same side guys...same side..."

"You'll still be watched."

"Come on Heero! All deserve a chance for repentance." Deathscythe grabbed Wing's shoulder and pat the gundam on it's head, "Just like a certain someone I know-"

"Point taken." Heero replied while looking on the scorched and heavily battle-scared wasteland that was no longer recognizable as District 16, "Kaiba hates you now."

"Nah! He hates Yugi."

"Actually since I just created a gestalt-machine that's more powerful than all of Kaiba's money could create...he'll hate you by proximity." Yugi clarified to the now worried Toji, "Speaking of Kaiba...he'll at least be grateful enough to-"

"DWEBS!"

"Worth a hope." Shinji laughed and was soon joined by all of the rangers, DF officers, Duo and everyone on the Wrecker Crew except for a smirking Yugi, "Who wants some shawarma?"

"That would...that would be good..." Hitomi agreed while being held in Van's arms, "But...lets wait after Shiro...Roger...Kamina...Simon...and...Shinji all get back from the Command Center."

"What for?"

"Shinji needs to be officially discharged from intensive care...Simon needs to go with him and Kamina...Shiro needs to check in on an emergency situation...and Dorothy is in the Command Center..." Hitomi answered her fiancee, "Is my gundam fixable?"

"What does it matter?" A single look made Van reconsider his response, "What I mean is...your life is more important Hitomi."

"So it's totaled?"

"You can't take a Nova-Level meteor cannon in your hands and expect to come out untouched..."

"Dad's going to kill me..."

"I'd rather have that happen then lose you my queen." Van held Hitomi tighter to her and kissed the cheek of her sweating face, "All is well...that is what matters."

"Speaking of gundams, I feel as though important need-to-know information has been purposefully withheld from me." Seto spoke over the comm, "Tell me Van, when exactly where you planning to inform us about your fiancee's gundam? Or that it has a Shining Finger strong enough to hold back back nova-level attacks?"

"That was at my fiancee's request."

"Well...it's great that you held that back till now..."

"She saved our lives and your city."

"Not disputing that, which is why I'm being nice enough not to sue her or your entire kingdom for the property damage that this secret has cost."

"I don't follow."

"Of course you don't! You have no inkling as to the paperwork and funding that it takes to repair large swaths of a city when it's been evaporated by beams, set on fire by volcanic dragons, flooded by mythical beasts, demolished by monsters straight out of power rangers and a gang of godzilla rejects..." Seto read off with a sarcastic chuckle, "I mean...it's not like my of my rangers WAS ENGAGED TO A GIRL WHO CAN SEE THE FUTURE AND PILOTS A YAMATO NADESHIKO RECOLOR OF A THE SHINING GUN-"

"Wait!" Yugi suddenly shouted and gained the attention of those on the field. The King of Games opened his mouth to yell and then pouted instead, "Odd..."

"What Yugi?"

"I was going to tell you to stop whining but...I lost all inspiration to give a f-"

"You realize that I could order this defense force to kill you on sight..."

"Why would we follow that order?"

"Amada play along-"

"Yeah...you clearly don't know us that well." Judau laughed out loud.

"I played along with Purpleton's bullshit for ten years...never again..." Kou then proceeded to stab a riddled picture of his ex with a combat knife.

"That sounded like a Titan order, I'm going to ignore it." Kamille decided, "Besides, I don't even work for you."

"Why did I hire all of you again?"

"For this exact reason." Shiro reminded Kaiba, "To keep you honest Mr. Kaiba."

"You're paying for your own repairs."

"Then good luck saving the city by yourself..."

"Alright...but Yugi's crew still owes me a lot of collateral..."

"I'm a minor...can't you put it on Nerv's tab?"

"I'm a minor too! Put it on Bit's tab-"

"VEGA YOU LITTLE BACKSTABBING BRAT!"

"Since I live with the Blitz Team, I'm gonna do the same."

"AOI! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BASTARD-"

"Screw you. I have green hair."

_"Didn't I used to have green hair? Or was it the drugs? Probably the drugs."_ Kaiba thought to himself,"Why Suzahara...you just gave me an idea..."

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

"Thanks for the lift talking trunk."

"Why do you wish to be apart from your comrades?"

"They're not my comrades, I just felt like swinging at something." Naota answered while lying on top of the talking truck, "You know...like you did."

"I see. You don't seem afraid of me." The car-carrier pointed out to the apathetic slacker, "Are you not surprised to be hitch-hiking on the back of a truck that can transform into a machine?"

"When enough giant robots pop out of your head...you'll stop caring too." Naota grinned and broke out laughing, "Nothing surprises me anymore! Isn't that sad?"

"Perhaps you should go elsewhere for a surprise? For instance-"

"Back with Kaiba's posse? Nah...I don't belong with them." Naota replied when he subdued himself, "Not to say that it wasn't fun...I think that kid is growing on me. Even if he hates my guts."

"How did you offend him?"

"I thought his bro was perving on my girlfriend, so swung my guitar at him...hit him in the balls and the chest in one shot and he ended up stabbing his back on some broken glass jutting out of a wall."

"Where did the wall of broken glass even come from?"

"Some artist put it up...I don't know! I was in bat country at the time, alright?"

"What is this bat country?"

"That's what you get when your girlfriend buys an incense candle made of mescaline." The Fear and Loathing he and Eri found in that strange city was something that they'd never forget. But...they had far too much fun and for that reason...they could never again visit Las Vegas, "Long story short...drugs are bad, okay?"

**xxxxxxx**

As the Car Carrier drove by, a pink haired woman emerged from a ditch wearing a torn nurse's outfit with burnt dirt covering most of her skin. She watched the by in the blue sweater sit atop of the talking car and watched enviously as a red robot flew towards them.

"Ta-kun..." The woman pulled her yellow Vespa out of hyperspace and resumed her chase...

* * *

**Glacier National Park**

In the skies above a rich forest, a Pavelov Helicopter swiftly flew towards the predetermined meeting zone. A low stealth field and an updated clearance code prevented American airforces from interfering with it's flight and kept it cordially boring.

Blackout would have preferred the slaughter.

It the Decepticon Commander had found himself bombarded by the Grove's outer defensive systems which prevented him from aiding his brethren in the operation. Once the Lilin and it's pilot were secured by the fleshlings, Blackout called for a full retreat for any and all surviving and functional decepticons. He had also tried to contact Scorponox and Reedman to ensure that the decepticon links of intelligence remained.

No response has been received.

With either agent dead or compromised, Blackout must now consider this entire operation a failure. Over 3/4ths of the protoform soldiers had been destroyed and at least three lieutenants were dead with the rest unaccounted for at the moment. Furthermore, the Lilin's moment of powerlessness somehow unlocked a deeper level of power...one that would make it's capture far more difficult in the future. But despite all of the bad news, there was a silver lining.

Starscream had been captured.

Finding a cave within a range of mountains, Blackout flew into the cavernous opening protected by a camoflaged forcefield and entered the Forward American Command Post of this recent decepticon operation.

"Blackout!" The Decepticon Commander transformed and landed on the rocky floor, standing up to stare upon a heavily damaged Brawl, "Brother...I feared that you had been destroyed-"

"Not from lack of effort, but did you expect any different?" Blackout swat the recovering cybertronian on the back of his head and entered a long hall filled with decepticon troops and engineers at work on parts and weapons, "Where are the others?"

"Black Shadow and Black Bacchus are in recovery; Barricade, Blitzwing and Bombshock have evaded capture, but they are still in the Grove. Bonecrusher, Barrage and Blackjack...are dead."

"And Starscream?"

"As Soundwave reported, sadly he is still alive and captive..." Both Decepticons cursed under their growls, "On the bright side, at least we won't have to put up with his screeching voice."

"It is good to be in full command." Blackout mused, sharing hope with his fellow decepticons that their "leader" would die a most painful death under the torture of the fleshlings, "But if Starscream is in their custody, then it is only a matter of time before they discover the location of our base. Order all troops to prepare for an evacuation and have the engineers prepare the charges."

"Not so soon..." A holo-projection of the Communications Officer appeared next to the De Facto Leader of the Decepticons while Blackout nodded towards his senior, "The base is within American territory and too far for Kaiba's forces to travel without risk of a response. Wait for reinforcements and soon, an opportunity will present itself."

"What do you mean?"

"A storm often obscures view of the sky...these fleshlings are violent stormlords." Soundwave's projection explained while a map of North America appeared before Blackout and Brawl, "The Fleshlings of this continent have been in silent conflict with the fleshlings that have colonized Area 8...or Quebec as the Americans prefer. My sources indicate that they may have a new target for their hatred."

"The Grove?"

"Yes...now that Kaiba has given a demonstration of his power, the other masters of this land will not stand for a rival..."

"And as they play their games of war, we enter through the breech and steal the Lilin."

"No...the lilin can wait...Starscream will still be of use to us," Soundwave corrected to Blackout's un-hidden disagreement, "For now, nurse your wounds and be prepared to provide hospitality to the Hand of Megatron."

"You mean..."

"I am afraid so..."

"He'll destroy this planet-"

"As long as he's aiming at it...we should be fine..." Based on how Soundwave was now sarcastically laughing, Blackout knew that the two senior decepticons shared the same fear regarding Shockwave's coming.

* * *

**Command Medical Ward**

"Commander!"

"At ease..." Shiro responded to the clerk as he wheeled in a wounded sister in arms, "I've got another patient, any room here?"

"I could see what we can do, but it doesn't look like there's a lot of squeeze space-" The clerk was interrupted when a covered patient was pushed past, the top of the sheet covering the soldier was labeled as KIA much to Shiro's already fragile mood, "You could try to take his spot sir."

"Who was he?"

"Patrol Pilot in District 13, he was injured early in the battle but didn't expire until after Kaiba's little speech."

"He hung around long enough to make sure that the city was safe." How many more had managed to hold on for that long? How many had simply given up? It was two questions in a long list that tended to bother Shiro despite part of him screaming that he should be used to this, "Any word from hospitals in other districts?"

"Everyone's booked and doing everything that they can."

"No questioning that." Shiro agreed while a familiar and wearied face passed by, "Roger Smith?"

"Commander Amada! Glad to see you in one piece."

"Mostly..." Shiro playfully padded his automail leg even aware that the Negotiator wouldn't have noticed, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for my wife and notorizing a few wills while I'm here..." Roger's eyes glanced around the crowded ward where the wounded and ailing were being tended to, operated on or read their last rites in multiple languages and faiths, "Sorry about this..."

"Don't be." The Commander assured the Negotiator, "If you hadn't been out there, it would be much worst."

"Not with you around."

"You should've seen this place when the Traveler attacked...or with the Termites..." Shiro was very glad that those two events were far behind him, "You think this is ugly...call me heartless, but I've seen lines of wounded going all the way out past the entrance."

"Yeah..." Roger said, holding a targetless stare that stretched out for a thousand miles. The Negotiator was likely no stranger to war and from his expression, he may have seen scenes worst than the one around them. In fact, if Shiro dared guess, he's probably seen much worst then what Shiro had seen, "So what brings you here Commander?"

"Transfer." Shiro replied, referring to the sleeping officer on the stretcher he pushed, "I think Officer Takaya will be more comfortable with a change in scenery."

"Noriko?" Roger appeared to recognize the resting girl and his previously soft expression somewhat hardened, "I could watch her for you."

"Thanks for the offer, but I insist." Shiro could tell that he had failed to convince the Negotiator, "Roger."

"Do I have to pull rank?" Technically he could though Shiro doubted that he'd cooperate, "Not that I will or that you'll listen."

"Her condition is delicate..."

_Several Moments ago-_

"Commander! I didn't know-"

"I didn't know that you needed me until recently myself, so what's going on?" Shiro asked as he entered the observation deck of a barely lit room where Noriko Takaya lied upon a surgery board with a curtain covering her body, "Why is Officer Takaya here instead of the Intensive Care Unit?"

"Sir...Officer Takaya was hit by a high density plasma laser in her chest." One of the monitors answered stoically, "The heat and radiation of such blast should have reduced her cardiac system into organic green goo."

"Obviously it didn't or I would have been told." Shiro didn't like it when ex-titans talked over him instead of just answering questions, "Why is she in here?"

"Furthermore, it appears as though she was within the belly of one of the nuclear lizards." The other monitor continued, "Said lizard's digestive acid is confirmed to be strong enough to burn through pilot suits and instantly kill the pilot upon contact with the head or chest."

"And?"

"According to the black tape of it's recovered jegan, Takaya had been thrown from her cockpit when the mobile suit was initially ambused and devoured." Now Shiro was getting worried, why was Noriko being referred to as an "it"? "Takaya then swam back to it's mobile suit through the acid and used the suit's limited functionality to force the beast to regurgitate Takaya and the remnant of the squad."

"So cut to the chase." Shiro demanded though he was starting to understand exactly what was going on.

"To be blunt, Noriko Takaya is not human." The senior monitor finished typing on his console and brought up a schematic which caused the mobile suit commander to pause, "Do you know what you are looking at Commander?"

"The schematic for a machine?"

"Look again sir." An image of Noriko was soon brought up and the schematic was placed over to reveal the exact reason for the officer's survival, "What you are seeing is an x-ray."

"That's what Noriko looks like on the inside?" While this did explain the girl's monstrous strength, endurance and energy...it did little to ease the discomfort that he felt upon noting the metal sinister looking skull that was supposed to belong to that bumbling girl recovering from near death, "Cybernetic replacements?"

"There's no sign of human tampering or artificial enhancement...The skeleton consists of a hyper-alloy steel designed to sustain and protect organic components. It has a hybrid nervous system; one human cortex, one controlled by nano organisms and both linking to the brain." Shiro heard the doctors explain, "The organs are real flesh and blood, though they are stronger than that of a human's. The muscles are comprised of a flexible synthetic alloy that further cushions internal organs and releases a regenerative liquid that stimulates rapid healing.

"This is unlike anything we've ever seen before." Shiro had seen this once before though Marcus had been far less stable or structured with this much natural finesse, "But...it's a biomechanical synthesis...whatever Noriko is...it's not a machine."

"She's not a machine." Shiro corrected and turned off the display, "She's a comrade and a friend who nearly lost her life out there. Or wait? You were too busy with your science experiment?"

"Considering who your wife is-"

"Your concern is noted and I can safely decide what to do for Officer Takaya's continued recovery." Shiro wasn't going to bother arguing, he shut off the schematical display and inhaled, "I don't know what Noriko is, but that doesn't change who she is. The information that you have told me stays between us and off the books. Understood?"

"Yes sir..."

"UNDERSTOOD?" Shiro demanded more forcefully.

"SIR! Yes Sir!"

"At ease and keep her under monitoring." Shiro stated and left the room and entered the single celled corridor where Noriko lied asleep on an operating panel. Part of her body exposing the endoskeleton that brought into doubt her humanity. At least it did so for the men observing her, "Move her to her own room."

"Sir-"

"That's an order." There was no point, the Commander wasn't going to trust Noriko to people who saw her as no different from a schematic, "Nevermind...I'll do it myself."

_Back to the Present-_

"I don't if this has anything to do with why you transferred her, but something happened between her and my daughter." Roger explained to Shiro, "Annie hasn't said anything about it, but it's left an impact and she's been having nightmares. I just need to ask her a few questions."

"Could you ask wait until she wakes up?"

"Judging by how soundly she's sleeping, she may not need to be in here at all."

"That's not for you to decide."

"I don't want to pull rank."

"Why would that matter anyway?"

"What if it were your daughter?" Damn. Big O wasn't the only one with a heavy punch, "What if our roles were reversed and that girl on the stretcher was the only way to find out what was hurting your child? I'm not going to hurt Noriko, you have my word. But I will find out what happened between her and Annie."

"If she has no answers for you?"

"Then I will leave her alone and she'll never hear from me about it again." Roger promised, "I just need to know if this was intentional or a side-effect."

"Of what?" Suddenly it became clear to Shiro. Somehow, Roger already knew about what Noriko was, "How did you-"

"My wife is a Cyban too and so's my daughter." Roger answered with a lower volume, "Sometimes a background program in a Cyban's subconscious can activate due to predetermined stimuli integrated into the program before it is installed into a neural nano-machine. It can then synch with others nearby and they'll all be affected by the program."

"Sounds like something similar to Psychometry..."

"That would be the best way to summarize it."

"Not that I really know what that is, my wife is the mad scientist." Shiro admitted with a chuckle, finding himself with greater ease with entrusting Noriko to Roger. Upon a few seconds of reflection, his previous reluctance now seemed stupid. How could he entrust the safety of this city and his home to this man, but not one girl? "Alright Roger, we've come to terms."

"Pleasure doing business."

* * *

**Lounge Hall**

"Yep."

"Yep."

"Yep."

"Yeah..."

"Yes."

"Had any trouble getting checked out Shinji?"

"They actually recommended it." Shinji replied to Bit while they relaxed in the middle of a crowded lounge hall along with Simon, Leena, Nia, Hikari, and Heero, "And no it has nothing to do with my invisible gun."

"What about the gun that you accidently fired?"

"You have a gun?" Hikari pinched Shinji's ear while Nia just gave a toothy smile, "What are you doing with a gun Mr. Ikari?"

"Big deal, I got my first gun when I was seven."

"You mean that loaded shotgun you hung over the oven?" Bit was still very nervous about the placement of his girlfriend's firearm, "The one that you're not going to move? Remember what happened to the last thing that we baked? And the oven?"

"Tried and failed to make a pie?"

"Heero...not now-"

"Buy another oven and make her another cream pie."

"Ah..."

"No better yet, make me one." Heero stared straight into Bit's eyes as the zoid's asce tried to hold his mouth shut, Leena and Hikari's faces were completely red, Shinji was on the floor having a fit of laughter, A puzzled Nia stared down at her sweetheart's aniki and Simon **epically** scratched his head in complete confusion, "I'll pay for it too."

"Heero-"

"Fine. I'll pay you to give everyone a cream pie. But only if we them together after dinner." While Heero's face remained completely serious, Bit could take it anymore and joined Shinji in laughter. Leena stared dumbfounded at Heero, Hikari was laughing on Shinji's back, Nia was laughing at Shinji, and the entire situation had flown over Simon's head, "What's so funny?"

"What's funny about pie. I want a pie."

"I thought you wanted cake."

"Cake's good too. In fact, where is the cake?" Simon asked and Heero shrugged in answer, "Kaiba promised that there would be cake...the cake was a lie...wasn't it?"

"Then make a cake."

"Why? Nia already made one for later." Kamina said while casually strolling into the lounge, "Hey Simon...who wanted a pie?"

"That was Heero."

"Okay." Kamina **epically** threw the cream pie into Heero's face as everyone else looked at Heero in mild caution, "How does that taste?"

"Bro...why did you throw a pie in his face?"

"Best way for him to taste it." Kamina answered while the Gundam pilot licked some cream off of his face and put it in his mouth, "Well?"

"Van was right, I'll make my own next time." Heero decided as he grabbed Bit's jacket and wiped his face on it despite his quiet protest, "And I won't share it with anyone."

"I like cake more anyway." Simon said, "Let's go home. I want to have that shawarma that Hitomi was talking about-"

"Major Ikari, please report to the Command Briefing Room." Optimus stated over the intercomm, "Seto would like to speak with you on an urgent matter."

"Tell him I don't want to waste my time!"

"He says that it won't be a waste of time."

"Really?"

"Would I call you over the intercomm if it were a waste of time?"

"If it were anyone else...I'd ignore it..."

"Just go!" Hikari said while playfully pushing Shinji away, "Then he won't bug us later."

"Oh yeah...we still need to finish where we left off..." When Shinji pulled Hikari into a kiss, the reactions of the others was mixed. Nia was gushing with stars in her eyes or more stars than usual; Simon was repeatedly blinking; Kamina was crying manly tears of pride; Bit's mouth was agape; Heero's eyes had widened; and Leena's pupils might as well had been question marks, "Later..."

"Yeah...later..." Hikari replied while Shinji left for the briefing room and the school representative suddenly remembered that she had an audience, "So! How about them Yankees-"

"I owe Hitomi fifty bucks..." Leena growled while Hikari's face turned crimson, "I think she really can see the future."

"Guess we can start betting on how many kids that they have."

"Or how many that they will have. As repressed as Shinji is, probably a lot."

"Are you and Shinji going to have babies? Can I be their aunt?" Nia's questions must have broken the camel's back. Because with blood flowing out of her nose, Hikari fainted and fell backwards onto the floor with a heavy thud, _"Myu, did I break her?"_

_"She'll get better."_

* * *

**Command Briefing Room**

"You're lucky that I'm in way too good of mood to just hang up on you." Seto declared to the enhanced image of Nerv's Commander on the viewscreen, "What do you want to do? Compare the number of puppies that we've both killed?"

"Kaiba, our conversation will be brief."

"Good because I just started a lizard barbeque and I happen to like the taste."

"The Colonel reported to us concerning your situation." Seto gave an unsurprised aside to the stoic Misato, "And Unit 01's mutation."

"You mean that S thing that grew in it's core?" Kaiba honestly couldn't remember the thing's name with Mokuba's excited yippering, "I never should have taken off his leash." "Go on."

"You will return to the evangelion into Nerv custody-" Kaiba cut off the Commander of Nerv with a sarcastic chuckle, "Did I amuse you?"

"You were serious?" Seto inquired with a straight face, "Then let me laugh harder." Now the Kaiba Corp President fell into a fit of genuine laughter that made him have to balance on a nearby railing.

"Kaiba-"

"Shut up! I'm not done laughing!" Now Kaiba had fallen onto the floor, still howling with a fit of laughter while the nearby Nerv personnel glared down at him, "It's like you think I'm the Candy Man..."

"As I said, you will return-"

"The evangelion that you sold to me? Nah...I actually like it." Seto simply replied while he pulled himself to his feet, "Next thing you know they'll want that wimp back-"

"We were about to get to that." Misato joined in, "I don't know what you've done, but Shinji's coming home."

"Wasn't the kid banished from Japan?" Seto pressed a button a nearby console and activated a recording that he'd made a while ago in case Nerv ever tried to pull any strings, "In fact, your puppets made it clear that they never wanted to see him again."

_"He's causing more damage than he's protecting! Give me a stable pilot!"_

_"I'm afraid that won't happen Mr. Kaiba." The recording of the Japanese ambassador pointedly yet frightfully said, "The boy's mental frailty is far beyond our capability to handle. The Federal Court of Japan has deemed Mr. Ikari as an S-class threat to our society and will not be readmitted into our nation under pain of death."_

_"I know he's a bit supressed, but you do realize he'll be under my control-"_

_"We could care less if you throw him into the sun." The ambassador said again, nervously tossing aside his script and continuing with his hands in his pockets, "He's your problem now Mr. Kaiba. Shinji Ikari's mental profile has been placed within the highest levels of the Criminally Insane."_

"Somehow this sounds different from what I remembered."

"I agree..." Misato was shocked to see Shinji enter the room, fastening on his officer's jacket as if he didn't nearly lose his life mere moments ago, "So is this what you wanted me for Kaiba?"

"Third Child, you will return to-"

"Misato, why is the Commander on the viewscreen?" Shinji inquired without even acknowledging Gendo's projected face, "Did you call Nerv for a pick-up?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." Misato answered, "And due to certain developments within this city, we're taking back Unit 01 and bringing you home-"

"I'm not going back."

"Shinji-"

"I said that I'm not going back."

"Back to Japan..." Misato folded her arms over her ample chest and stared into the eyes of the annoyed Shinji, "Or back to your father-"

"The Commander." Shinji interrupted, now becoming somewhat pissed, "Don't slap me by calling that bastard my father-"

"You refer to me as though I weren't listening-"

"WELL HE IS!" Misato shouted and interrupted the annoyed Commander, "Look...I understand that you hate your father. I understand that he's used you like a tool and then discarded you out here when he felt like he didn't need you. To be honest, I don't like him myself. I've learned things...things that make me question my position at Nerv. The Commander has his own agenda...and he is using Nerv. So I understand why you wouldn't want to go back."

"Did you get back with Ryoji-"

"But that doesn't give you the right to run away!" Misato's raised voice echoed off of the walls of the room as she stared down her ward, "Your feelings for your father is no excuse to abandon your duties...abandon Japan...abandon humanity to the angels! You know what will happen if they make contact with Lillith...Adam...whatever it's name is...You know that humanity will be destroyed if Third Impact is allowed to occur! Forget the Commander! Do you really think the Angels will be polite and stop attacking while you're not around? Are you so selfish that you'll just keep running away!"

"Run away?" Seto and a nearby Taskforce Captain could tell that this wouldn't end well, "I mustn't run away...I mustn't...run...away..."

"Shinji? Are you even listening to yourself? Do you even give a damn?"

"That's what everyone has been telling me my whole life...don't run away. While you walk away and leave me alone...you shout and tell me not to run away. I'm the one who doesn't give a damn? I think that's you."

"Are you saying..." Misato's fists now clenched at her sides, "Oh no! Don't you dare tell me...that I'm running away! I'm not the one who isn't even trying to come back!"

"If I go back, I'll just be his puppet again-"

"If you stay here then you're abandoning mankind!"

"He'll never acknowledge me...never love me..."

"No one else can fill in the gap that you'll leave!"

"Hell...I don't really know what love is..."

"Shinji...are you saying that you want everyone to die?"

"So what if I am?" Misato gasped while Gendo merely watched, "I am a child, so I have to do as I am told? What if I go back to Japan? Back to the Commander? I'll just be his puppet, he's already stated that he has no use for me and he'll treat me just like that. Saddle me with the responsibility that most adults have nightmares about and will cause me pain that will follow me for the rest of my life. Then what? In his eyes...your eyes, I'm still just a child and should follow orders and do as I'm told as a child...I...I won't go back to that..."

"Damn it...Kaiba's really rubbed off on you..."

"If I were that charismatic, he would've blackmailed you into selling him all of your clothes."

"The Shinji I know would've never been this selfish..."

"Maybe you never knew me at all Misato." Shinji replied, "Or...you were too busy getting vengeance on the angels to even care!"

"Revenge? You think that's all that I care about?"

"Your father, Dr. Hideaki Katsuragi was the leader of the GEHIRN expedition that set off Second Impact with Adam, right? That's where you got that scar? Your father died to save you from Adam," Shinji asked while Misato stared ahead, "I never asked before because I didn't want to open old wounds and because I believed you weren't a selfish person. But now I know that it is true. You're just using me as a tool of revenge...even though the murderer of your father is in Nerv's basement...why don't you just walk down there and shoot it? Why keep it alive?"

"Can you blame me? For being human? Fine...I do want to avenge my father...my mother...my sister...AND ALL 10 BILLION PEOPLE WHO DIED IN THE IMPACT WHEN THAT MONSTER ROSE! DON'T YOU DARE LECTURE ME LIKE I'M A MONSTER!"

"I'm beginning to believe that you are ignoring me-"

"DO YOU THINK I ENJOY THIS? ENJOY TRYING TO TELL CHILDREN TO DESTROY THEMSELVES? DON'T YOU THINK THAT I WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO BE THE ONE FIGHTING THE ANGELS? WELL...I CAN'T! THE EVA'S WILL ONLY ACCEPT CHILDREN BORN AFTER THE IMPACT AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO! DO YOU THINK THE ANGELS CARE ABOUT HOW OLD YOU ARE? OR ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A FUCKING BASTARD THE COMMANDER IS? THEY'LL DESTROY US ALL JUST THE SAME!"

"I'm tempted to fire you Colonel-"

"And I hate it..." Misato sobbed out loud, "I hate having to do it...sending you out to your deaths...I hate having to go along with that bastard and his stupid shades...but it has to be done...for the sake of humanity...The needs of the many...outweigh..."

"The Needs of the few...or the one..." Shinji finished, "But I can't do it...I can't be that one Misato...I won't."

"Is that fair to Toji? Rei? Asuka? It's okay for you to run away but not them? Would you be running away if that meant leaving your friends here to die? When Third Impact happens...everyone will die...including the people here..."

"Why me? What makes me so damned important?" Shinji inquired, "You already have three and Mari from Bethany...so why am I so damn important? You already have four evas and four willing pilots, what does it matter for one?"

"Because they're not you." Misato answered, "This isn't about them or their choice. It's about you and your's and you disappoint me Shinji...I know that you are you...frail...meek...and unsure of yourself...but if you never gave a damn...then why did you lead us on and agree to pilot in the first place?"

"Would you have let me go...if I had said no?" Shinji asked seeming unsurprised when Misato froze, "I had already been exposed to Top Secret information, if I had chosen not to pilot, what would you have done? Knowing my father, I would have been imprisoned until I caved in under pressure of wanting his worthless love and because of the wimp I was. Or maybe I would have been killed on the spot."

"Shinji-"

"You were given the choice to pilot or leave." The Commander spoke, "You choose to pilot. Your question is therefore irrelevant."

"What if I had decided not to pilot?"

"Then the death of humanity would have been on your shoulders."

"The defenders of humanity place their hopes on a weak, pathetic spineless pussy like me? Is that really the best plan you could come up with Gendo? You think mother would have approved?" No one was certain on whether Gendo's silence signaled neutrality or silent rage, "Didn't think so."

"I am not done with you-"

"Well I'm done with you."

"Shinji!" Misato yelled as Shinji walked away, only to be intercepted by her old captain, "Damn it Price..."

"The Major doesn't want to talk with you Pengun." The captain didn't even reach for his pistol while Misato's hand hovered over her's, "You sure you wanna do that little bird?"

"Sucks being the chew toy doesn't it?" Misato's hateful glance turned back towards a completely serious and disapproving Kaiba, "That's the same glare my step-father gave me as I told him Kaiba Corp was no longer his company. A glare that quickly changed into despair and mindless hopelessness before he threw himself from the 50th floor of the HQ and proceeded to deconstruct his body all over the top of his own limo. The same glare he gave me when I defeated his unstoppable Exodia and left his ass to burn inside of a computer...a computer that was soon reduced to mere particles when his own nuclear missile destroyed it."

"Is that a threat Seto?" The Nerv Commander inquired in a neutral tone, "If you refuse our request, then you will be acting in violation with-"

"Yada yada convention and treaty that would not apply here because you're the one who legally signed over Unit 01."

"In light of recent developments-"

"The Eva still belongs to me."

"Do you believe that Nerv is unwilling to pay-"

"I have more money than Scrooge Mcduck, why would I want any of your's?"

"Then there's the matter of the Third Child-"

"Major Ikari wants to stay here and so he's staying."

"He is in the legal custody of Colonel Katsuragi-"

"Whose voided her rights due to testimony which she provided to a reliable source."

"When did I void my guardianship? Smith was the only one who-" Then it hit her. Kaiba gave her an aside smirk in that very moment, a toothy little smirk that said he knew exactly what she had realized, "You...son of a bitch..."

"I'd punch you in the face for insulting my mother, but I'm enjoying your misery too much." Misato growled while Seto turned his attention back to the stoic Commander, "Based on her testimony, she has clearly admitted to not being mentally or emotionally grounded enough to act as the guardian of Shinji Ikari. Furthermore, you're not only a loser at life, but a shitty father even by standards set by my late stepfather. Therefore, Shinji Ikari is already in the process of being emancipated from any custodial attempts by you or any of your staff. And considering who the Negotiator put on the case, I'll be surprised if you're even allowed visitation rights."

"Irrelevant. I am his father and I-"

"Am a pathetic sad man who deludes himself with the opium of control..." Seto stated, "I have enough information to know that you didn't make up this organization to save humanity Commander Rokubongi. If you really gave a shit, then you would've done the intelligent thing and told your son about the giant purple robot before the angels attacked. I have to wonder...what would have happened if Shinji really was a pussy? What would have happened if he decided not to pilot the robot despite the emotional blackmailing? In fact, what if he wasn't in the country and couldn't get to Nerv in time? What if he had died in some freak accident? You'd be screwed and you'd be right to be screwed."

"What kind of military commander entrusts the entire crux of his strategy and the fate of humanity in the hands of a child who not only has no training in piloting mechas, but whom you'd abandoned for ten years and never even informed him about Nerv, the Angels or the mecha that you'd already predestined for him to pilot. Or maybe it was your wife who did it...whoever it was, it's fucking sick. You're not much smarter than my father, but at least his plan made sense and it did work...much more than he'd like in fact. But then Shinji came because he's obviously the Ned Stark of your circle, believing that his actions can draw out and be supported by the good in people...only to get a lance through his leg and have his head chopped off."

"Well guess what? This isn't Game of Thrones, you're not Tywin, your old hag isn't Cercei and the Colonel certainly isn't Arya." Misato was very confused and frustrated as Seto continued and looked straight at her, "Colonel...you're the type of person who makes all women look like useless weighted bi-polar vampires who live on by sucking off of other people. Hell! The only reason that you probably got your job was so that people would be too distracted by your huge breasts to notice how incompetent and unethical Nerv really is. You probably even know this, but you're so gun-ho for wiping out the angels cause they killed your dad that you don't even care. In fact, your self-esteem is so pathetically low that you'll even wear skimpy clothing around minors who are fifteen years younger than you and you constantly belittled your ward in order to run away from your own sense of self-worthlessness."

"In that case I'm looking at my reflection aren't I?"

"Colonel this does not concern you-"

"Fuck off Commander! You got me into this mess!" Normally Misato would've mentally jabbed herself for yelling at her own boss and one of the most powerful men in the world, but she was too pissed at Kaiba to care, "You wanna talk about me being a self-loathing bitch? You're no better! All you do is flaunt around your money like it's a license to be a dick and waste it on stupid card games to compensate for your sense of self-pity-"

"I'm sure that you've got a great 'You suck and here's why you suck' speech. But it's honestly not gonna be anything that Yugi and his friends haven't ever tried to hammer into my head." Kaiba stated, "And make no mistake, I like them and all...but they're losers. The only reason that they could say anything was because they legitimately had a strong friendship that I somehow got dragged into. When I heard them talk, I just crossed my arms and gave them the decency of listening with one ear before it all went out the other. You? You sicken me so much that I'm not even gonna give you that privilege. Instead, I'm going to shut you down before you get any momentum and utterly destroy you in the most unkind verbal way possible."

"You're-"

"And before you even start about my real parents and that I'm adopted...okay, we both lost our parents to giant pale ghosts...I'll give you that." Kaiba stated, "But here's the difference between you and me. If my parents saw that I took my grief and turned it into the fuel which allowed me to become the president of one of the most powerful companies in the Earth's Sphere, expanded their trust fund into a gold mine large enough to buy a miniature country and still win the Nobel Award for Best Big Brother for ten years in a row...they'd be proud that they died horribly to save my life."

"But if your father saw what you are now, he'd blink at the sad waste of life you've become. Deuces." With that Kaiba shut off communications with Nerv and strolled out of the Briefing Hall, "Price, escort the Colonel to her new living arrangements."

"Come along Pengun." The 141 captain grabbed the distraught woman by her hand and practically dragged her out of the briefing hall, "Come on penguin, you're acting like someone threw a brick at you."

"They might as well had..."

"Some bricks need to be thrown."

"Why are they all being thrown at me?"

"Bad luck, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons."

"Can I at least have a beer?"

"Our newest guest drank it all."

* * *

**Recovery Center**

"You are pretty woman with nice ass." An old russian patient sluredly complemented his nurse, "Bring me Molotov Cocktail!"

"Firearms are not allowed in the premise-"

"Not to use! To drink!"

"You want to drink a molotov cocktail?"

"Dmitri and I drowned ourselves in molotov's after we took Stalingrad!" Dorothy watched the senior russian laughed, his right had missing it's trigger finger, "Bring me ale and rum then!"

"You realize that you just had a kidney transplant-"

"NO THANKS TO THE BRITTANIAN DOGS!" The Russian shouted, "But I had last laugh! While they fiddled, VORKUTA...BURNS! URRAAA!"

"What is wrong with that man?"

"He is old Annie, old and bitter." Dorothy explained to her daughter, "Furthermore, he is heavily intoxicated on beer."

"Oh..." Roger was a louse, but at least he educated their daughter on why she should stay out of his private bar, "Won't he have liver problems?"

"MY LIVER BREATHES FIRE LIKE DRAGON!"

"He already has several."

"Daddy!" Dorothy felt her temperature rise as her daughter cheered happily as she spotted and tackled her father, "You're such a louse daddy..."

"Feeling better Annie?" Roger asked and looked over at his wife, "Sorry if you were scared..."

"No need! The monsters are all gone now!" Annie happily said and looked past her father towards another face, "Noriko!"

"Kiddo?" A drowsy Noriko asked just before Annie had latched onto her stomach before she was finished rising out of bed, "Cut it out! Hey! That tickles!"

"Glad to see my daughter's spirits up."

"It is a partial act, news of the city's victory rose her spirit." Dorothy said just before peeking her husband on his lips, "How did you know I would be here?"

"Hitomi mentioned you were looking for me and the only way that would happen is if you used the emergency route." Roger figured, "You know...the one that you've yet to tell me about."

"The need has not arisen."

"Fine, I'll negotiate it later tonight." She was not sure how, but liking her lips and the side of her upper lip always caused Roger to loosen his tie and stun him, "Then again, you always win."

"Wrestling you is easier than wrestling a kitten." Dorothy added before returning her glance towards where Noriko was telling Annie about her recent mission. According to Dorothy's hearing, Noriko made sure to leave out any graphic details such as the reasoning for her lack of official attire or the results of her encounter with a decepticon infiltrator, "How is she?"

"The worst is already over, she's just battered and tired." Roger answered and before she could follow up, Roger had beaten her, "I already asked her about the incident, she doesn't remember anything."

"Just like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roger playfully inquired though it hid a deeper truth than he was unwilling to talk about at that moment, "Maybe the situation needs a woman's touch?"

"Perhaps I can offer this." It was an opening that Dorothy needed, she needed to get to close to Noriko and more specifically, what was hidden within her, "Excuse me."

"I'll stand here."

"Louse..." Dorothy walked over to where Noriko had been pinned down by Annie while a nearby group of humored patients watched, "Annie...could I burrow Noriko for a moment?"

"Sure mommy!" Annie agreed and unpinned the DF officer who fell upon her bed wearing a disbelieving smirk on her face, "You okay?"

"I crawled out of godzilla's belly but still got pinned down by a little girl..."

"Perhaps it is because your muscles are tired. May I massage them?"

"Uh..."

"Merely to un-tense your shoulders, nothing more." Looking over to Annie, Noriko sat up and waited for Dorothy to start, "There may be a momentary discomfort." Dorothy more reminded herself as her hands were placed on Noriko's shoulders and she began to initiate the experience that her daughter had gone through...

* * *

**A Warning**

_Multiple worlds revolved around their stars, engulfed in blooms of light and energy when those stars were destroyed._

_The people upon those worlds cried out in one voice before death silenced their voices, before energy melted away their bodies. The heat of the violent solar winds had no mercy upon them whether they were men, women or children._

_But they continued in sorrow, defeat and pain...even as their children cried...The defenders of the dying Republic had no choice for there was no chance for surrender or any negotiation with that which saw them as pests to be exterminated._

_In defeat they cried as beams of light and shadow evaporated their bodies...their souls entrapped by the vanguard of their destruction and used to fuel the creation of more horrid leviathans._

_In torment they cried as the front of their skulls were pried from their struggling writhing forms...their exposed heads were replaced with metallic masks that imprinted the doctrine of Antithesis into their broken minds._

_They cried as their oppressors drained their very blood from the veins of their bodies...their flesh was now irrelevant...a mere vessel. They watched their own spines become condensed into a white liquid which was used to entomb them within armor of steel empowered by their pain._

_They cried as they and their neighbors were crucified upon great black towers...The cries of billions joined together in a dirge of pain and sorrow even as their souls were drained into the great obelisks. The instrumentality of their torment would be fuel of Zamboa's dream._

_They cried as brothers were forced to kill an enemy that resembled their fallen family and loved ones...those who hesitated where brutally punished with the deaths of their comrades and being forced to stare into the eyes of a beloved twisted into an enemy._

_They cried as their towering foes restrained and prodded their very soul...Some in the form of creatures of the sea, some as great mountains of indomitable strength, some as diamonds whose song destroyed mountains and others who seemed as large metallic shelled krakens whose noise drove the brave mad and the courageous to view them as dieties._

_They cried as their leaders remained silent to their pain, slain before anyone knew that war was upon them...their successors resigned to the coming extinction and the new world that awaited their defeat. A new world that demanded it._

_They cried as their greatest work was turned against them as a harbinger of their destruction...The forge that was meant to be the crown of their glory turned into a coffin through which swords were violently stabbed._

_In the center of the pain was a single being...a being shrouded completely in a vortex of red and dark energy as the world upon which he stood and the worlds around that world all darkened. The being opened his eyes, eyes that were little more than tiny red orbs that held no remorse or pity..._

_Nemesis...that which was named Nemesis dared to smile._

* * *

**Outside of the Command Center**

"Hello?" Lelouch asked on a cellphone that one of the DF lieutenants had happily given to him, "This is the Viscount Estate of Area 8, correct?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Lelouch Vi Brittania." Lelouch always got a chuckle out of giving operators a panic attack, it was an inherent trait that he had doubtless gotten from his father, "Please direct me to the Viscountess."

"She is currently-"

"Doing something that certainly would justify putting her sovereign lord on hold."

"Just a moment, your grace." So Lelouch sat on a nearby bench and held up the dice bag that held multiple marbles from a recent encounter with chance and luck. This collection of marbles had already proven their inflitration capabilities and their assassination effectiveness through the disposal of an oversized Cybertronian scorpion. In fact, Lelouch decided leave a few behind within the command center.

Or to trail a few select interesting individuals that he had encountered or observed.

"Meine geliebten Prinzen! (My beloved prince!)" Lelouch heard the young Viscountess cheer on the other line, "Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen können- (How may i serve you?)"

"I was abducted by Americans and then their plane was hijacked and forced to crash with me still on it." The Black Prince really wanted to simply cut to the chase at the moment, "In addition, extradition from this place will be highly unlikely due to recent damage to their city."

"How are their problems, our problems?"

"I am still in their city, so wouldn't that make it my problem?"

"I'm sorry Lulu..."

"It's alright...nothing's gone as planned lately that's all." Of course Lelouch wasn't lying, but he was a master of Speed Chess for a reason, "I am currently transferring data to you regarding the perimeter, structure and organization of the Angel Groove forces. I want you to be on standby if an opportunity should emerge."

"Like what?"

"An event that Mr. Kaiba is already sending invitations out for. I've ensured that you will receive one along with members of your team and a few select others."

"Alright, I've been itching to settle something with the stooge in the first place-"

"Speaking of this stooge, I have a new development that may interest you..."

The Black Prince thought very carefully before his new asset finished transferring the new intel to the Red Baroness.

* * *

**Location Irrelevant**

"I believe this should suffice..." Grand Moff Tarkin of Disney said to his fellows while they watched the footage captured from the most recent battle in Angel Groove, "This was the last transmission of the Oromis before a deflected ray of charged energy struck it's hull and caused the vessel to implode upon itself. But what we have found has left little doubt to LordGenome's concerns...Kaiba is expanding his personal army."

"One Gattai Mecha is reason enough to be worried...but two?" Another member of the council asked, "They just created a pocket dimension for the shear purpose of destroying an enemy! And this isn't even the first time that they have done this! Why haven't we taken action before?"

"Because without the proper jurisdiction, the Tribunal will be seen as overstepping their authority." Trieze Kushrinada pointed out to his fellow Tribunal members, "If we make any action against Kaiba without proof of any deeds that he has committed then not only will the world be against us, but Kaiba will drink up all of the support that will be drawn to him. As long as he doesn't make a direct offense against any other nation, there is nothing that we can do."

"What about his assaults on my people?"

"The beastmen aren't even public knowledge to most of Earth's population and reversing this would have an adverse effect on your people."

"The Tribunal has little concern for the opinion of the mob." Viral scoffed while his horse neighed in agreement, "And now the Black Prince is there too...how could this get more tangled?"

"Whatever the presence of the entanglement...there is no doubt that Kaiba's militarization has greater purpose than self-defense." Another delegate stated, "Kaiba is preparing for something, is preparing to invade America?"

"He's goading us...mocking the world around him...he's waiting for us." General Shepard commented, "It's like a pack of amazon huntresses who go to the watering hole to bathe while bandits watch them nearby. It's not as though they don't see them...they are aware that the bandits are waiting..."

"Wouldn't the amazons be wary of the bandits? A bandit wouldn't bluff-"

"They know, they just don't care." The assembly shook when LordGenome announced his presence, surprising all accept Treize and Viral, "And like an Amazon, Kaiba's strength is becoming attractive towards his allies and his enemies. He now has the means to become proactive rather then reactive to outside threats."

"Congress won't agree for military action against Kaiba's militarization...he's got all of the lobbyists in his backpocket!" General Cheney fumed, "And the elections won't happen for another year! Which means America won't be able to act till that coon is out of office-"

"General you may hate the man, but the president is still our commander-in chief." Shepard rebuked his colleague, "Besides, the president doesn't need to know everything..."

"What do we do?"

"We wait." Tarkin stated to the council, "Kaiba is powerful, but his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Sooner or later, his ego will provide an opening...one that will allow us to divide and conquer without ever taking a step within Kaiba Corp. territory."

"This opening will come soon, I promise you that." Lordgenome stated as all eyes fell upon his bronzed form, "A true fisher does not wait for the fish to nibble the bait. He dives into the waters and takes the prey into his own hands."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Now we're starting to move on to the really heavy stuff...**

**What? Its easy to battle a monster when it's super-enhanced clone of godzilla. But it's harder to face a monster that has the face of a man (or woman).**

**Unless it's someone that you don't like.**


	26. Tranquil Thunder and Glass

******_LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN MECHA RANGERS!_**

_Kaiba gives an encouraging heartfelt speech to his city after making mince meat of godzilla's clones and defies his younger brother's ambitions to take his place as leader of Kaiba Corp._

_Luckily, Mokuba is a good brother and is more happy that Seto is alive._

_Kamina restarts his heart, wakes up from a nap and throws a pie in Heero's face out of frustration for missing all of the fun. That and I think that the pie joke was meant to be something inappropriate. I don't know, it all flew over my head due to the giant nuclear lizards that were tearing apart the city._

_Also, Noriko is a robot-human-hybrid thing. And apparently so is Dorothy. I don't get it? Who cares if the bumbling roommate is a cyborg? We've had singing diamonds, dead people, centaurs with fans for weapons and a nuclear robot try to attack the city! Who gives a damn if Noriko is a robot-human-hybrid thing?_

_Though it would finally explain how Roger and Dorothy had a daughter. I always thought that Roger just adopted someone and reprogrammed Dorothy to think that she pushed that little girl out of her-_

**Stay on topic.**

_You really did take a long time to explain that-_

**Stay on topic.**

_Loosen up!_

**Stay on topic or no pay check.**

_Fine. So...Kaiba laughs in Nerv's face when they decide that selling him Unit 01 back in Chapter 6 was a bad idea. Then Kaiba uses carefully retconned dialogue from Chapter 3 as evidence to have Shinji emancipated from Misato's parental custody and Nerv's legal reach. Which then leads to Kaiba of all people jumping on a pedestal and waving his finger at Nerv and Misato about what terrible people that they are._

_Because...Seto Kaiba is just the most honorable businessman in the whole world, isn't he?_

_Anyway, the world is starting to notice that a small city-sized nation is becoming as powerful if not more so than the two world empires and plans are set in motion to corral Kaiba's rising ego. Will they work?_

_Or just make everything worst? Oh nevermind! What could possibly happen to Angel Groove that isn't any worst than what it's already gone through?_

* * *

**Visions of what may and what will be...**

The grove of angels was ravaged in the blink of an eye.

A bloom of thousand suns consumed it's heart and millions all cried out at once before they were silenced.

All that remained for the outer limits of the city to find were the ashes and burnt bones of the millions who perished. The deformed, hollowed out husks of the mecha that lied motionless, containing the preserved corpses of the pilots who died in vain for their home.

All because of one brat's pride.

"Answer the question!"

"Why?" The red-haired baroness inquired, smirking in proud victory despite her battered face or how she was handcuffed to the chair she sat in, "Is it gonna change anything-"

"YOU BITCH!" The Distraught colonel slapped the young girl across from her, though her own state left it questionable as to who was really hurt by the blow, "What happened to you? Where did I go wrong? How could you...all of those people...they're all dead! People are dead Asuka!"

"Who the hell cares?" The wall to the German's cell was blasted open when a giant purple hand crashed through it, "The Baka?"

"CUNT!" The girl screamed when a thrown lance slashed the table in half when it was thrown past Asuka and took out her eye in it's path. The girl screamed in pain when the lance's owner entered the hole and approached with a tearful, wrathful expression on his face, "Asuka..."

"Shinji! I thought you were dead-"

"Sit down!" Shinji demanded the colonel as he approached the girl who clutched her cut face in agony, "How does it feel?"

"It hurts...it hurts-" Before she realized what had happened, Asuka felt Shinji's hands clutch around her neck and left her into the air with tightening force, "Stop...please...I-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Shinji stated with cold fury, "Simon...Kamina...Heero...Roger...Noriko...Kaiba...Hikari...my...they're all...they're all dead! THEY'RE DEAD BECAUSE YOU KILLED THEM!"

"No shit-" Asuka defiantly managed before Shinji tossed her into the wall. Despite her condition, she stood her ground ready to meet what was coming, "If your little whore had just stayed out of my way, none of this would've escalated-"

"I slapped you for being a bitch so you decide to kill everyone? Don't try to pass this off Asuka!"

"That's enough-" Misato tried to grab Shinji's shoulder, but an unseen barrier sliced off her hand instead and pushed her onto the floor, "My hand!"

"You're just as guilty as she is." Shinji stated to the colonel as he approached Asuka with glowing blue eyes, "As for you..."

"So pathetic. You've still got wondergirl and her little mini-me or do they remind you too much of mama?" Asuka smirked defiantly as Shinji approached with arms now enshrouded in red power, "Did you at least get to fuck the cunt before she died?"

"You didn't? She died a virgin? You're just the definition of fucking failure-" Shinji grabbed Asuka's neck with both hands, lifted her up against the wall and squeezed despite Misato's pleas.

Asuka's headless body hit the floor just as Shinji tossed up her head and punched it to turn it into a splatter on the wall...

_**xxx**_

A tidal wave of hero's blood washed upon the barren mountain side.

Fiends, heroes, soldiers, warriors, poets, knights, kings, princes, princesses and children decorated their corpses upon the field of ruined glory.

The husks of their machinations of war littered the ground, oil and blood leaking out from within them to mix as they flowed into the soiled waters. A cloud of hot air hung over the land, choking the breath from any creature that dared to not die in this land.

Through this land stalked a single being.

The being was a warrior of metal and will, battered and damaged and crowned with a single black horn that rose from his forehead. The being's eyes were yellow and lifeless, it's black arms painted scarlet from the many who had fallen against it. He stomped over to where an immortal machine waited upon a great stead and looked upon their fallen foe.

The Eva looked up at the being with a broken jaw and a broken spine. All around it lied the broken remains of the oni's friends and brothers in arms, all of whom were broken. All of whom were defeated. All trapped within their destroyed machines of war, helpless to stop the being from stomping upon the eva's chest.

The being gave a mighty roar as it reared back it's fist and punched the Eva's skull to transform it into a splatter of bone, metal and blood...

* * *

**Blitz Pad**

"No!" Hitomi awoke attempting to catch her breath. Next to her, Van slept beside her unaware of her panic from what she had seen. She loudly exhaled, using every ounce of her strength to keep from crying out.

She gripped her still bandaged hands and felt the pain within them burn. It was that pain that distracted her from her very sense of dread and sorry from everything that she had witnessed. She always thought that time would allow her to become acostomed to the future that her visions showed her. A vision that was always changing and always in motion. Except for those few instances where what she saw was repeated in her vision and set in stone by fate's design.

Much like the vision she just saw.

She left her and Van's room and quietly walked through the hall of the Blitz Pad's 2nd floor. As she walked, her mind caught the glimmers of passing thoughts from everyone that was sleeping under this former hotel's roof including guests for the night.

Brad was in the middle of dreaming about the next time he saw a zoid ace named Naomi.

Dr. Tauros was embroiled in the middle of a grand war between dinosaur zoids and panther zoids over the cookies of the fuzzy pandas.

Annie Smith and her Teddy Bear were playing happily with a boy named David and a girl named R.D. while also trying to find a Blue Fairy.

Aoi was disturbed by the vanishing of a smiling young couple whom he called his mother and father.

Vega and his Berserk Furher had just won the S-Class Grand Prix and celebrating with the rest of the Blitz Team.

Jamie was flying in his Pteras Zoid and outracing some king of hypersonic metal hedgehog.

Leena embraced and talked with her brother who was lying in a hospital bed and nearby her father happily heard a doctor's report of a miraculous recovery.

Mamoru stalked and tackled a moose-wolf-bear to cook and eat alongside a pretty man with sharp teeth and pawed hands.

Merle was back on Gaea playing a game with cat-folk children and waving at Van who held a pregnant Hitomi in his arms.

Noriko was racing a Gundam while wearing weight pads on her arms and legs with Commander Armada and the rest of the Defense Force cheering her on.

Nia, Hikari, Simon and Shinji were all sharing the same dream with Nia and Shinji teaching Simon and Hikari to play a piano so that the two couples could have a piano duet face off.

Van was playing with a little boy and girl that looked like him and his future wife while they waved and watched their mother give a speech as the president of a university.

All of these thoughts brought happiness to Hitomi.

She needed every ounce that she could get right now. Her state was so distant and weighted that she hardly noticed that she was now sitting in the hanger across from where her under-repairs gundam was being worked on by a shirtless Bit. Oddly enough, the scars on Bit's body betrayed that he had been damaged at least as badly as her gundam at some point if not more so.

"You neither? For the last time, I'll get your gundam up and working so that your dad won't kill you." Bit assured while welding a piece of shoulder plating back into place.

"It's not that and...thank you."

"Why not? Little Kaiba took my zoid so I've had nothing else to work on." Bit chuckled though Hitomi could easily tell just how annoyed the ace was, "That's what happens when you let a district get wrecked on your watch."

"If not for you the district wouldn't be there. Don't worry about Kaiba." Bit shrugged while he continued to work and paused to cough, "You alright?"

"Just need a break and some water." Bit leapt down from the gundam and grabbed a half-full bottle, "Leena says that I'm pushing myself too hard. She's probably right, I haven't felt quite like myself since the Zilla Wars."

"Is that what they're calling it now?"

"Kaiba plans to sell t-shirts." Bit laughed as he sat next to Hitomi, "So what's really bothering you?"

"A bad dream."

"You sure that it's not more than that?"

"It's probably a vision too." Hitomi admitted figuring that Bit wouldn't believe what she was about to say, "Something bad is about to happen and a lot of people are going to die. Those who survive...will become monsters."

"That sounds it sucks." Hitomi dipped her head down and Bit just lied back and looked at the ceiling, "Guess we've gotta fight for the present."

"How do you know it will help?"

"The future's determined by what we do in the present. If we do nothing then nothing will change." Bit stated, "But if you do try to do something, something's gotta change right?"

"Here's the thing, I've actually seen the future and tried to change what I saw. But I either ended up fulfilling that vision myself or...everything turned out worst."

"Better than lying back and doing nothing right?"

"Let me guess? Apathy is death?"

"That's what all of the kids are saying nowadays." Bit laughed when a thought occurred to Hitomi, "What's up?"

"Kids? You don't look much older than me or Van."

"Call it good genes. My mom looked great even after she turned 50, so I guess it passed down to all of us."

"You have siblings?"

"One younger brother and an older twin sister. They have mom's hair while I only got her looks." Bit answered somewhat more apprehensively, "How about you?"

"I'm the baby of the family." Hitomi replied, "My older brother Kyoji and my older sister...who died..."

"Sorry to hear, trust me...it sucks to lose a sibling."

"You too?"

"I'd rather not talk too much about it."

"Me neither...the last time that I saw her was a year before I met Van and...I tried to kill myself when my parents told me what happened." Hitomi found herself freely admitting to Bit's subdued shock, "Van doesn't know..."

"He won't know from my lips."

"Thanks...I saw her die...but I didn't do anything about it." Hitomi tearfully continued, "I saw her get seduced by a Black Knight and consumed by it...but I didn't know what any of it meant or didn't even try to warn her..."

"You felt like you'd might as well had killed her?"

"Yeah...and it would've been better if I had...faded away and...died..." Just thinking about that low point in her life brought tears to Hitomi's eyes. Nearby, Bit just sat and watched her, "It only got worse after I failed to even kill myself. Dad trained me too well for me to die from leaping off of a building."

"Same thing with my dad. As much as he hated violence and always talked about love and peace, he knew way too much about being precise with a gun." Bit chuckled with Hitomi joining in, "It's best that we did fail right? Look at all that we've been through and everything that we'd miss if we'd given up then."

"Everything worth living for..." Hitomi agreed, thinking about her fiancee and the many friends who now slept peacefully unaware of her sorrow, "Everything worth fighting for."

* * *

**Smith Residence**

While the rest of the rangers had stayed over at Bit's pad along with their daughter and her teddy, Roger and Dorothy had chosen to make this a "special night" that had been denied them for a long time since they came to Angel Groove.

He enjoyed every minute, but Roger always tended to forget exactly how heavy his wife was. Perhaps he'd grown so used to it, that it never became as obvious until these "personal nights". At the moment, he lied beside his wife in their bed and heavily panted with internal pride. He doubted that she was actually asleep, but her eyes were closed and her slim figure lied still beside him. He kissed his wife before he sat up to get a drink of water.

"Come back to bed..."

"I'm thirsty." Roger replied to the resting Dorothy, "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Cosmopolitan in a shot glass."

"This late at night?"

"My liver is capable of consuming more alcoholic beverages than a dwarf." Dorothy reminded Roger who had earlier been beaten soundly in a "gentlemen's drinking game", "Stop being a louse and bring me my drink."

"As you wish my love." Roger left the room and quickly found his way to the kitchen a partially tipsy state. As he prepared a glass of water for himself and a cosmopolitan shot for his wife, he couldn't help, but miss his daughter. It was only for one day, but her absence was still noted to Roger.

Especially due to what little he could remember for when she was around.

It as a fact that Roger didn't keep in the forefront, but he honestly could never remember Annie's birthday or even the day of her birth. He couldn't remember anything past the day that he saw Dorothy in a hospital bed carrying their newborn daughter. Dorothy would remind him whenever Annie's birthday as coming, but after that birthday, he could not retain the memory of his daughter's day of birth.

Just like everything else that he could not remember.

"A Post-coital drink? Surely the cosmopolitan is a little strong? No?" Roger's eyes widened in shock and he slowly turned to see V standing next to him cutting an apple with his sai, "Perhaps you would like an apple to go with the cosmopolitan?"

"I have a special house rule that only lovely young women can unconditionally enter this mansion."

"I am quite familiar with your rules, negotiator. Hence the reason that I dress in all black." V took off his hat and bowed with one hand on his black cloak, "I am sorry if I am intruding, but I wished to speak with you if only briefly."

"I push one button and I'll have powerful friends on their way-"

"And by the time they arrive, your little girl will be known as Little Orphan Annie." Faster than he thought possible, Roger had drawn a steak knife and no held it inches from V's exposed neck while V's sai was poised to pierce Roger's stomach, "You don't believe that I bleed? I'll show you mine if you show me your's."

"Who are you?"

"I am exactly that which you made me. Negotiator. And this mask represents the idea that that identifies me." Suddenly, Roger saw flashes of himself standing before a man wrapped in black cords and saying something that he could not hear. When his vision return to the present, Roger had collapsed onto his knees with his knife out of his grasp and V kneeling down to him, "Are you alright?"

"You break into my house and threaten me and my wife-"

"I made no such threat. I was only bringing attention to the reality that if I wanted you dead, you would be dead before finished making love to your wife. That is all Mr. Smith." Both men stood with Roger waiting to see what V intended, "I came here because I am curious."

"About what?"

"These series of attacks are not wholly unprovoked." Roger was no confused, yet still curious as to the intruder's meaning, "Have you ever wondered why your new home is attacked by every facet of nature's darkest imaginations?"

"Kaiba's not the most friendly person-"

"True, but there is more to the constant assaults than Mr. Kaiba is telling you."

"Anything that you'd like to tell me?"

"Well, in your office, I have already placed a few documents concerning the source of the energy fuel known as Neutron-Plutonium." V replied as he placed his hat on his head and turned to leave, "Within, you will find pieces to a puzzle that contradict any stated information that Seto Yanzaki Kaiba has told you."

"It couldn't hurt to look." Roger agreed with caution, "I have a question for you before you get out of my house."

"Please, speak."

"Your Red Megadeus already had a dominus and that isn't you." Roger spoke, still hearing the laughter of the burnt reporter in his ears, "How are you able to pilot Big Duo when you are not that dominus?"

"Because the one you speak of became one with Big Duo and chose me as his successor." V answered, "Though there as an initial incompatibility problem that killed me in all, but name. Until you redefined me."

"What do you mean? How do you know me?"

"You only said one question, negotiator. The rest will have to wait for another time." V stated as he walked towards an open window, "And when that time comes, I do hope that the duality of our relationship does not bring us into conflict."

"You said something about that once. Why would we need to clash?"

"Because though it is not obvious, I represent everything that you oppose. Fair well, Mr. Smith." When Roger blinked, V was gone and the open window that he stood next to was closed. Scratching his head in confusion, Roger saw that that Dorothy's glass was filled with apple slices and that his own glass of water had ice in it.

A Bellini didn't sound bad to Roger at that moment...

* * *

**ANGELFALL Contingency Editorial Phase Active**

_It has been three days since the conclusion of the popularly termed, "Zilla Wars" and the micro-nation of Angel Groove has already entered the last stages of reconstruction and repair._

_In spite of this victory, there is a silent realization from this struggle._

_Make no mistake, the rangers of Angel Groove and their close allies are all noble individuals well loved for a reason. But due to the magnitude of their observed power whether individually or separately, the Earth Sphere cannot be caught off guard should any of these individuals decide to turn their talents against humanity. This contingency was not created lightly and to anyone who may find these files, I simply ask that you keep an open-mind._

_Think of my actions as you will. But the data presented in these files will prove that I did what had to be done. I will not stand by and make an assumption that no hero can fall and when proven wrong..._

_I will be hopeless to stop them._

"Which ya working on?"

"Go away Duo." Heero said while typing away in his apartment room which he'd somehow been convinced to share with his least favorite Endless Waltz comrade, "I'm editing important information."

"That Angel Fall plan?" Duo rightly guessed and folded his arms in thought, "You really don't trust me?"

"It's not just you, I have an entry too."

"Who are you adding?"

"The Rangers."

"Not surprised," Duo replied with a sign, "What about the Avengers?"

"The who?"

"The group that Toji came up for him, Kittan, Vega, Aoi, Mamoru, Yugi and I after our team-up."

"What are you avenging?"

"No idea. The name was cool." Duo admitted and gazed at the entry that Heero was typing up, "Ya got one for coop?"

"In progress...the megas is a well-built machine."

"You hacked him?"

"With his Atari level security?"

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"How many times do I have to tell you to cloak your IP address?"

"What are you my mom?" Coop asked while ignoring the reproachful Kiva as Jamie, Zechs and a newly returned V watched with amusement, "It's just my gaming pc! Who'd want to hack it?"

"Which computer did you put the technical prints of the Megas on?"

"None of them! How would I put a picture on a computer anyway?"

"Very easily..." Jamie chuckled, "What did you do with the tech sheet?"

"No idea...didn't you have it last Zechs?"

"It's likely in your room under all of that junk that you need to clean." Zechs replied, "Are you sure that you didn't put it on Flamenet again?"

"That was one time alright! No one even read it!"

"That which is posted on the World Wide Web can never be removed." V mused with embarrassment, "Never..."

"What did you post?"

"The less said the better." As the unfortunate viewers on uncyclopedia discovered for themselves...

* * *

**Back to Duo/Heero**

"I would've thought that he'd surprise you." Duo poked Heero's screen, clearly to Heero's annoyance, "That won't work."

"The battery doesn't last forever-"

"That was before the eva grew it's own infinite energy core." Heero's eyebrow rose as he erased two pages of tactics in light of this new information, "If you're serious about making up a plan for all of them, then you'll end up updating this contingency plan once a week."

"No, just a few months." Heero corrected, "Each plan doesn't just include technical data on their chosen mecha, it also includes psychological profiling, emotional status, physical history, biological structure, and so on. That way, they can be beaten regardless of whatever mecha they pilot."

"Like with you?" Duo inquired, "If you happened to have gotten Angel Wing and went crazy Quatre on everyone, we'd be able to stop you?"

"Yes." Heero answered without a beat, "Though I'll remind you that only Relena knows where to find Angel Wing."

"Can I read my entry?"

"No."

"Oh come on! I won't make a counter-plan! Promise!" Duo begged and stopped when Heero wasn't even paying attention to his display, "Fine! Can you at least tell me which of the G-5 would be the easiest to counter?"

"It's a tie between you and Quatre-" At that, Duo seized the labtop before Heero realized what had happened and starting browsing through the man's files ignoring the pistol that was pressed against the back of his head, "I'm going to need that back."

"There I am!" Duo exclaimed and opened his file and immediately frowned, "It's blank."

"No it's not, the lettering is simply a shade away from the background." Heero said with a smirk as Duo gave back the labtop and pouted, "Actually, you're the second hardest next to Wufei."

"And you?"

"Easiest, if you follow every single instruction in my file."

"If not?"

"Then you'll be eliminated without mercy."

"Have fun then, I've got an appointment to catch." Duo stated as he left the apartment and Heero continued editing the "Ranger" entries codenamed **Driller**, **Ego**, **Prime**, **Atom**, **Cloud**, **Negotiator**, **King**, and **Beast**. He also made sure to edit these files offline and store them in hacker-free folders to ensure that these plans did not fall into the wrong hands. Based on other intel that he had collected, there were plenty of people who would want to use this plan against them.

Especially **Ego**...

_Angel Fall Contingency-File Location: Ranger-Codename: **Ego**_

_Seto Kaiba is the president of Kaiba Corporation, in addition to owning major stocks in more than 75% of the leading production, developmental, and entertainment companies in the Earth Sphere. His ownership also extends to exclusive mining rights to the 3rd through 6th rings of the Asteroid Belt and partial ownership of rings 1 and 2. These assets coupled with his recent purchase and investment into Angel Groove make him one of the single most powerful men on the planet._

_If anything happened to Kaiba, the Earth Sphere Economy would die within months._

_Hence the reason why this contingency is carefully applied. Seto Kaiba is intelligent and severely arrogant, and this ego is his most fed asset as well as his greatest weakness. His pride can blindside him to unexpected developments, shocking his mind and preventing him from taking initiative against your actions. For instance, the destruction of a single asteroid in the 5th ring would lead to a chain reaction that would cause severe damage to the entire mining operation and send a Class 2 Meteor hurtling towards Earth where it would likely cause millions in death and billions in property damage. The shock of the incident would distort Kaiba's excellent judgement, make him single-mindedly determined to find out who caused the incident._

_Neglecting everything else in the process. This neglect would leave him vulnerable to political attacks, particularly sanctions on his meteor and energy trade ports to substantially lower his income. He is very rich, but his pool of gold is only made of a finite substance. These sanctions would lead to strikes from his Defense Force and riots from Districts most heavily hit by cuts in traffic and medical funds. The decrease in security would leave his personally owned banks further vulnerable to mass theft._

_Refer to Table 76 for information concerning hiring costs of the Oceans 13._

_As long as the ego is bloated and bruised in quick secession, Kaiba's intellect will be negated allowing for his defeat. This defeat would discourage him from whatever actions that he was taking and if not, if Kaiba's threat rises that badly, then a bullet to his skull will silence him. The economy would still die, but a new one can be built if worst comes to worst._

_Make sure that he has no cards on him when you pull the trigger._

* * *

**Kaiba's Pad**

"Two years ago, I never thought that this was possible."

"What was possible?"

"I'd be playing a friendly game of Magic with the man that nearly killed my grandpa by playing a children's card game." Clearly Kaiba only put thought into offensively maxing out his Blue/White Deck, but there were other ways of winning apart from destroying monsters.

"How is any of that my fault?"

"You practically tried to hump him over over his Blue Eyes, even though anyone who buys your starter deck set can get one-"

"It's not the same and you know it!" Kaiba shouted at Yugi just the King of Game's summoned another sliver, "You're just riling me up to get an edge in this game?"

"It's working so far." Yugi's well-timed enchantment managed to take out one of the three Blue Eyes White Dragons that Kaiba had somehow commissioned for his own personal Magic Deck.

"I remember you being nicer. Like you when you didn't attack my weakened Ultimate Dragon so that I wouldn't fall off the edge of a wall."

"Pharaoh's been rubbing off on me." Yugi admitted, "Sometimes I don't even know which me that I am. Am I the one beating your ass right now, or is it Atem? Am I the one cleaning out Tea's tonsils or was the honeyed feather Pharaoh's idea-"

"I'm going to stop you before I even imagine what you would do with that." Kaiba interjected, "By the way, how is my ex?"

"You went on four dates and kissed her once, that hardly counts as an ex."

"That frown on your face says otherwise. You should feel honored to have my lifeovers. Because when you kiss her, you kiss me."

"Are you coming on to me?"

"I'm trying to goad you with the fact that your girlfriend is my sloppy seconds-"

"Except that she was mine before she went to you...and if you want to count mind control them you kissed Crump and Marik when you kissed Tea." Yugi countered while Kaiba scowled, "Me? Sloppy makes it a little kinky and whats wrong with getting a little messy when you're having fun-"

"New subject please."

"Granted! I win!" Yugi stated when Kaiba realized that his life points were at zero, "So that's 19 wins across different games for me and 1 loss in chess."

"He's a world class champion, no need to feel bad about that one...king of games." Both duelists turned towards Lelouch who had his hand on a king piece, "Perhaps you would have better luck with me. Care for a game?"

"Couldn't hurt." Yugi agreed while Kaiba grudgingly threw his defeated deck into his open drawer and slammed it shut, "See that's why you suck at Magic, you need to restructure decks when they lose, not throw them away-"

"Go fuck yourself." Seto growled as he exited the office and left a snickering Yugi and an amused Lelouch.

"What's his problem?"

"That game ensured that the Wrecka pilots and I won't have to pay Kaiba for collateral during that Kaiju attack."

"He actually bet that on a cardgame?"

"He tends to act fairly dumb when he's in a good mood." The two rulers shared a laugh, "Now set the board. Nothing at stake, just a friendly duel."

"Agreed." The Black Prince couldn't wait to show Yugi Mutoi just how wrong he was. After all, life was like chess and in chess everything is always at stake.

But that lesson could wait. For now.

* * *

**Pendragon**

"Welcome home princess."

"Thank you." Despite the smiles of the stout and true royal guardsmen who stood at attention, Euphemia li Britannia did not feel at home. She never did. The giant palace that she was entering always felt more like a prison and soon she would be locked in unseeable chains. Even though Suzaku was with her, Euphemia really did not want to enter this palace, not without her older sister Cornelia or Lelouch. Even Nunnully would provide her comfort.

But no. Cornelia was deployed to quell another French Resistance in Normandy. Nunnully was still in Quebec and Lelouch is in Angel Groove undergoing some selfish scheme like he always did. But father loved him for it. Just like he loved Cornelia for her skill and ruthlessness; Schniezel for his loyalty and duty; Clovis to be the clown child that he laughs at; Odysseus to be an example to his younger siblings to how not to be royalty and Nunnully whose very survival intrigue father.

Euphemia on the other hand.

"Father I am-" Euphemia was knocked from her feet when a bottle struck her upon her shoulder while the gathered audience of nobles laughed in polite solidarity. She always hated them for it, they sounded like they didn't like it, but laughed on her father's orders.

They could at least enjoy her misery like her father was.

"Euphemia, how was your journey?" The Emperor inquired, his regal robes now further covered in the sown together skins of kittens with baby dolphin heads decorating his shoulder plates, "Because heavens knows that you were the one who I wanted to have a safe journey."

"It was pleasant-" Just as she got on her feet, the princess felt another filled bottle hit her leg and knock her off balance to be caught by Suzaku. Her royal knight's face was unreadable, but his eyes bore great frustration and a simple message to his princess. All she would have to do is nod and Charles Vi Brittania would be no more.

Knowing that Suzaku's attempt would fail, she shook her head as she stood.

"So you care nothing for your brother?"

"I was informed that Lelouch was safe-"

"He is nigh, but a few miles west, north and south of the yankees. How do we know that Kaiba won't hand him over to the Americans for a good fee?" Charles inquired, "I believe that the fault falls on that japanese harlot you recommended he take."

"Father I did not-"

"You did not think. Of course you wouldn't! You are a woman and a pacifist woman who embraces the poisonous lies of the lesser men." Charles boasted, "Though I should not speak wrongly of our sworn brethren in the Sanc Kingdom. Our Empire would never exist without them."

"Then how are we greater when we would be Britannia without the lesser men?"

"Because some lesser men are more worthy to join greatness than others." The Emperor casually spoke as if he wasn't just challenged, "I have recently acquired a letter for you from my son's egotistical guest."

"You do not like Seto Kaiba?"

"No. But I do admire his guts."

* * *

**One year ago**

"Father, why haven't you ordered the guards to murder these japs?"

"If you want us dead so badly then do it yourself." Mokuba confidently taunted First Princess Guinevere su Britannia, "Cause I will do to you what the French did to the other Marie Antoinette-"

"Down Mokuba."

"But she's being a bitch, Seto."

"They're royalty. They even make me look nice."

"Your coattails certainly make you appear as a dragon rider, Mr. Kaiba." Euphemia happily complemented the Kaiba Corp President as if his younger brother didn't just insult her oldest sister, "Even kingly."

"Are you coming on to me?"

"You can come on me-"

"Marrybell! You are a princess! Not a slut!" Cornelia li Britannia berated Marrybell mel Britannia, "Even if he is handsome."

"I suppose I could let him live for that. If I can keep his cute little brother-"

"Mokuba isn't for sale."

"Seto! This could be my only chance to not die a virgin!"

"Your problem, not mine. I didn't blackmail a bunch of former Britannian special forces just to hand you over to be the personal teddy bear of an prune who looks juicy but is actually tasteless and tarty on the inside." If stares could throw daggers, Guinevere would have sent several through Kaiba's head, "And that's before we consider how hideous you look under that stupid dress-"

"Father-"

"No, you cannot kill my guest." Charles stated, clearly amused by his eldest daughter's misery, "I don't understand why you wished to discuss your stepfather's holdings. Everything within the Britannian Sphere was already turned over to you-"

"I'm actually here concerning my real father."

"General Yanzaki? Now this is more interesting." Lelouch joined in and turned to Euphemia's guard, "Suzaku, who is this Yanzaki again?"

"Kenjiro Yanzaki was an Earthborn Japanese Officer who joined the Federation during the Titans Conflict. Soon after, he became a leading member of the Anti-Earth Union Group and was formally assigned to the Federation Army with the rank of General per Supreme Commander Tomino's personal recommendation." Sir. Suzaku answered to Mokuba's caught interest, "A few years later, General Yanzaki was pivotal as the primary supplier of Londo Bell's Expedition against Char's Neo-Zeon Alliance known famously as the "Unicorn's CounterCharge." After the mission's success and Char's imprisonment in Jaburo, Yanzaki was given the Nobel Peace Prize for providing the technologies that saved humanity and was knighted by Emperor Charles as a "Knight of the White Dragon."

"Thanks for telling me something that I already knew." Seto smugly stated, "I also know that my father had a personal deed to a certain territory in the Canada States. A deed that was trusted to a distant relative who was also a late member of your court. Does the name Duke Dermail remind you of anyone?"

"Dermail? Oh yes! That old fool who got himself killed by the White Fang." Charles chuckled as if attempting to hold back laughter, "What about him?"

"Since his granddaughter was disinherited for her involvement with the White Fang, I was certain that the Imperial Crown personally confiscated Dermail's assets." Kaiba stated while he had a servant give a set of documents to the emperor, "As Dermail had no other viable heirs, all of his estates and assets lawfully belong to me."

"His fourth cousin twice removed?"

"As your own laws govern, you'd have already given the assets to someone else if there was a viable successor. Which there isn't."

"And why would the Late Duke's assets concern you?" Second Prince and Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia inquired with stoic interest, "You are not Brittannian and therefore, you have no claim to britannian territory or property."

"Furthermore, why should the emperor deem to honor you with a piece of paper?" Schneizel's wife, Mariemaia nee Khushrenada added, "Do you believe that your father's actions will be enough to let this transparent scam come to fruition?"

"Britannian or not, Mr. Kaiba's claims should be considered," Euphemia countered, "After all, as a knight of the realm, the Late Kenjiro was granted honorary citizenship which has passed to his children-"

"Enough." A thrown bottle crashed into the princess' face to the Kaiba brother's shock and Cornelia's outrage while Charles never even looked over to his half-conscious daughter, "Forgive Euphemia, she never knows a woman's place."

"You know, what exactly is a woman's place?" Seto inquired with his question directed at the ladies and princesses in attendance, "I'm sure that the lovely ladies here have differing opinions."

"And what right does a woman have to speak against the statements of men?"

"Didn't women give birth to men?" Euphemia countered and flinched when she saw another bottle thrown. Only this time, the bottle was caught in Cornelia's hand, "Thank you, sister."

"How pathetic. Cornelia's actions speak louder than my words ever could." Charles stated to Kaiba while Cornelia just growled and threw the bottle at Charles' throne, "Emotion and sentiments have no place in doctrine and leadership. The individual who allows their heart to drive them towards every whim and wish will exhaust themselves and leave themselves weaker with everyone that they have "helped" also becoming weaker. Females are inherently incapable of separating their emotions from their actions and hence have no place having power over those of the greater gender who operate based on logic and pragmatic advancement."

"This all sounds really interesting, but I only care about what I came for."

"Very well. I shall the deed brought to you as well as all of the assets of your late father and of Duke Dermail."

"This is a foolish action."

"Little Marie, I know that Schneizel loves your little booty, but I can have your tongue pulled out if you ever reply to my statements without my expressed request."

"Touch my wife and you'll be pleasuring the servants with a wooden-"

"Okay, I'm done." Seto stood up with Mokuba turning over their section of the long table with mischievous glee, "Emperor Charles, thanks for seeing to my request. But I have to say that you have the most disfunctional family that I've ever seen. I mean, you do realize that half of these people will likely try to kill you in the future? And take it from a guy who did cause his own abusive stepfather to kill himself, you're probably digging your own grave."

"Interesting." Charles pondered while almost all of the imperial family looked up at the Emperor as if they'd been caught red-handed, "Except that I made Stalin my bitch when I was mere child. Why should I fear my own children?"

"Probably nothing." Seto said as he and Mokuba left the hall, "Except that the intelligent enemy hits you where you think you're strongest."

"Don't you mean safest-"

"Shut up Mokuba."

* * *

**Present**

"That was quite the exciting dinner-" Euphemia was knocked off her feet by another bottle.

"I was about to say the same thing myself." Charles mused while his daughter struggled to pick herself up from a thin puddle of her own blood, "Euphemia! You're getting blood all over my royal carpet!"

"Forgive me father-"

"Take the damned letter and read it for yourself." A Knight of the Kingsguard handed an envelope to Euphemia, "Now get out of my sight. I wish to attend my wall and you shall join me later."

"I do not want to be on the Wall-"

"Did I ask what you wanted my dear?" Another bottle struck Euphemia on her chest and tore her corset, "And for Darwain's sake! Stopping strutting around in clothing that makes you look like an American whore."

"You tore my dress-"

"And it makes you look like a whore. Now leave." With a curt bow, Euphemia turned from her father and left the audience hall before her tears started to pour down her face. She founder her chambers and slammed the door behind herself and Suzaku before she began to cry in her personal knight's chest.

"Euphie."

"Just stay with me..." As powerless as they both were in her father's presence, Euphemia took some comfort in her shining knight's presence.

* * *

**Palace of Aether**

"They grow more powerful by the minute."

"You exaggerate Lordgenome, this increase in their power was not unforeseen."

"Why do you allow them the time to grow?" The Spiral King walked alongside the Bastard King, observing the latter's organization add the final touches to the newest model of Seele's secret mandate, "You have taken too many risks Rokubongai and they are beginning to weigh against you."

"Only on the surface." The Commander replied, "Unlike your pawns who have failed to contain your prisoners in all ways throughout the mines. In the past year alone, millions have been freed with mounting cost to your forces."

"They can be replaced-"

"But each human that escapes is another ten who will have supported hope." Gendo pointed out, "Hopes of insurrection against you and this hope will further inspire others. That is how rebellion always starts."

"Once the champions of their hope are broken, it will not matter."

"I would prefer killed."

"A broken hero is more crippling to hope than a dead one." Lordgenome explained, "Humanity is a sad race. They have much in common with sheep. Like sheep, they blindly follow any leader that presents themselves and will love that leader whether good or bad. They have had many leaders: noble leaders, vicious kings, idiot kings, vicious idiots, naive lords, noble fools and many more endless possibilities."

"That sounds more akin to a complement than an insult."

"With a strong leader, humanity is capable of much. But only while they are focused with one vision, one will. Remove that will and they will scatter as gazelle before the charging lion." Gendo listened on even as one of the armored demons in the hanger below them began to roar and technicians scrambled to stabilize it, "It is not so much the man that is important to destroy, but their will. A dead hero will be beheld as a martyr of their cause, an indestructible symbol of their hope that will drive them to oblivion. Humanity has many slain heroes, from the highest leader to the bravest soldier and even to the smallest child."

"But a broken hero...a fallen hero...will make the mindless flocks despair for their god has bled and he is not invulnerable. When a god bleeds, the people will no longer follow him. When a hero breaks, their followers will lose their hope for that which they held as it's symbol has now become it's antithesis." As Lordgenome spoke, Gendo took note of how much heavier each of the man's steps became. As though this great man was relying his own experiences as a lesson for others who would ever follow his path.

Lordgenome was a fallen hero...

Perhaps even, a broken hero...

Of course, Commander Ikari kept his thoughts to himself. He had no desire to reveal the "key" which he had taken into himself. Ikari had learned long ago that Lordgenome lived in a world of cardboard for as strong as he truly was. Any recent displays of power that he utilized were mere circus tricks compared to his true power, because if that power were revealed then nothing would be left.

Not even ash.

"When the hero is broken, when his followers have deserted him, then the hero may die. For a hero with a broken will is already dead." Lordgenome turned to the quiet commander, "Remember this when you make amends for your mistake."

"What mistake?"

"Your arrogance has granted Kaiba a power that even now joins with another power and strengthening both."

"You fear that little boy?"

"Boys grow up. I was once a boy myself." Lordgenome said with a smirk, apparently surprising himself as the smirk quickly vanished, "The boy is a catalyst for those around him, including your son. They in-turn strengthen him and the cycle repeats itself continually as the Grove's war with the Kaiju clones has shown us."

"Then kill the boy."

"Only after he is broken." Lordgenome stated as the two kings came upon a pool of molten black gold that Lordgenome proceeded to enter, "If you have questions concerning your new eva series, speak with Terios. He is the one who directly handles such measures."

"Thank you Lordgenome." Gendo replied, noting how parts of Lordgenome's form appeared to darken as if he were turning into the very black gold that he was bathing in. The sight of this discovery almost frightened Ikari, as if Lordgenome weren't truly human at all.

But as long as it made no difference to the scenario, it was an irrelevant curiosity.

* * *

**District 25**

"And that's a win."

"I know you're good but you can at least act like you're having fun."

"I was having fun..." A shirtless Naota muttered while playing the World MMORPG with Ninamori sitting next to him in an oversized t-shirt. It was not at all how he had planned to end the night, but Eri's addiction to this game got in the way of a lot of things.

Including Fooly Cooly.

"You want to go back to bed, don't you?" Being teased by your lover after she stopped Fooly Cooly to play a video game was fairly frustrating for poor Naota, "Still tired from fighting giant monsters?"

"I just helped out, I didn't fight them." Naota corrected, "They were lizards anyway..."

"Why did you go out there?"

"I guess that stupid kid's growing me."

"Cause he's exactly like you."

"Eri!" Naota turned around and pinned his childhood friend onto the floor which caused her to giggle and Naota heard a gun hammer click, "For one...a kid wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she jumped into his arms."

"That sounds like you."

"He's also short and scrawny and always wants to be as big and tough as his brother."

"Again, that's you."

"He's also never had mouth to mouth..."

"Which mouth?"

"I know you're not wearing anything under this shirt so-" The air around Naota chilled even before he looked into Ninamori's terrified eyes and followed her stare to where someone was watching them, "HARUKO!"

"I finally caught up with you Ta-Kun!" Their Pink haired intruder was wearing a nurse outfit that looked like she had literally torn it off of whoever she stole it from. Naota couldn't believe that he didn't hear her fly into the room on that stupid vespa of her's, "Now give me a hug..."

Instead, both deviants swung their guitars into the woman's stomach and threw her into her vespa.

"Two? And they both got stronger..." Haruko spat blood out of her mouth as she juggled the broken wheel of her destroyed transportation, "I could hear glasses moaning and screaming so loud from across the district. I'm dying to know how much she overflows-"

"Eight times." Ninamori's guitar fired off a fist-sized bullet that slammed into the back of Haruko's head and threw her past Naota and into the wall. While the smoke cleared, Ninamori ran her fingers through some of the strings as she walked up to the on guard Naota who was looking towards where Haruko had been thrown, "But I broke your record a while ago."

"Just like you broke daddy's skull?"

"Among other things..." Eri remarked while Haruko emerged from the large dent in the wall and dusted herself off, "Naota's not coming with you...so go home."

"Who said I was here for him?"

"Kanti!" The Red Robot crashed through a wall and threw a heavy punch in Haruko's direction. A punch that she playfully avoided before ripping off the robot's arm and slapping Kanti's head from it's neck.

"You let him get weaker Ta-kun..." Haruko muttered maliciously, "Where is Atomsk's power?"

"I don't know alright!" Naota shouted, "Now fuck off!"

"But I want to play..." Haruko laughed while bringing out a red and yellow flaming guitar, "SO LET'S ROCK TA-KUN!"

* * *

**October 17th, 2015: Uneventful Patrol**

_"Third hour of a boring as nails patrol in a city where everyone's capable of handling themselves."_ Captain John "Soap" MacTavish wrote in his journal. Nearby, an unconscious thief lied tied and gagged on the sidewalk as Soap comfortably sat in a perfectly good sofa that someone threw out, _"The post-invasion districts are the best places for a patrol if you want to catch anyone. There's always looters taking advantage of the damage and the chaos, robbers who use fear to get a quick profit and even the wannabe murderer who figures that killing a few people during an attack by giant monsters will go unnoticed. They're actually right, though only a handful actually manage to pull it off."_

_"I was picking up the old Russian from Scandinavia during the so-called "Zilla Wars" and from what the DF pilots are saying, it was both the most exciting and terrifying thing that they'd ever been through. Not sure about how much help I'd be against an 80 meter tall nuclear lizard, so I'm actually glad to have been missing in action this time around."_ Soap admitted to his worn out journal, his training mainly centered on combating and killing other people. Giant monsters and robots were out of his league and he felt no shame admitting this, _"The old Russian is recovering pretty well and he may be able to help us find and silence Makarov once and for all. After that, we'll have to find a way through the Red Tape to finish off old knife-eye Shepard. Only the next time we meet, I won't miss the killing throw-"_

Acting on pure instinct, Soap leapt from the couch and watched as a set of black pincers grabbed and pulled the couch apart. Before Soap could mourn the loss of such comfortable furniture, reality proceeded to force him to keep inventory. In the form of that Black mechanical spider that had eluded him and the boys before.

And now decided to show up when he was alone and had little equipment.

"Do not panic." The REGIS MK 5 stated as a series of ray guns were pulled from it's bulkier form, "You will soon die."

"Whatever you say mate." His gun already pulled out, Soap pulled the trigger and shot a hooked wire into the machine and proceeded to send a concentrated electric pulse through the wire. The machine staggered briefly before the wire backfired and caused Soap's gun to explode in his hand.

"The REGIS MK 5 is amused by your pathetic Electro-Magnetic Pulse." The boastful machine mused as it aimed it's weapons at Soap who pulled out an assault rifle intent to not go out quietly into the night nor be vanquished without a fight, "Surrender and I will kill you peacefully."

"You mean, I will let you go peacefully." Soap corrected, hoping to appeal to the robot's logic and either get it to cease it's attack or for it's own programming to find a paradox that would cause it to short-circuit itself.

"The REGIS MK 5 does not mince words. Surrender and the REGIS MK 5 will bestow upon you a less painful death."

"I'd much rather live." Not such luck tonight.

"The REGIS MK 5 does not understand your objections with not dying." The Black Metallic Spider stated, "Do you wish for the REGIS MK 5 to assimilate you into the REGIS MK 5's very being? Slowly and methodically breaking your feeble carbon-based organic structure down to mere particles which the REGIS shall use to destroy your pathetic world? Does a quick and merciful death not appeal to you meatbag? Or has your logic become overwhelmed by the sheer terror that grips your mind as you stare into the eyes of the REGIS MK 5?"

"I was gonna tell you to duck-" Soap's words were cut off when a red and pink blur flew over him and slammed into the machine, "Nevermind, you'll be fine...scratch that, you won't be fine. But I will."

"Do you believe that impact force will be enough to stop the-" A shockwave burst out of the pink haired female and broke apart the spider as she swung a battered guitar into the red figure that attacked her. The figure wrenched the guitar from her hand and used it along with it's own guitar to double slam the woman's skull.

"HAVING FUN YET?" The Glowing Naota shouted as he slammed his glowing guitar into the face of his pink-haired foe once again, "WELL HARUKO?"

"DF Dispatch, we've got an attempted assault. I'll need a pick-up van asap for a disabled machine. Yeah, the Regis." Even though all of this stuff was out of his league, Soap seemed to keep stumbling onto ways to get mixed in anyway, "So what's the problem?"

"This woman just broke into and destroyed our apartment." A black haired girl who appeared to be Naota's girlfriend answered with their robot walking past with a set of handcuffs that looked like they were made of sea-stone, "She also tried to kill us and probably rape Naota."

"It's not rape if you like it-" Naota held the woman down while Kanti snapped the cuffs onto the girl's hands and appeared to sap all of her strength, "Damn...looks like you got me Ta-kun. So are you gonna ravage me like you did Eri?"

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't just kill you right now?"

"Trust me kid, vigilantism just ain't worth it." Soap stepped in and brought the woman onto her feet, making sure that the cuffs that were negating whatever mad-strength that she possessed were properly fastened, "What's her name?"

"Haruhara Haruko if that's even her real name and she's your problem now." Naota muttered while he limped towards Kanti and collapsed in the robot's arms, "Owe.."

"Damn it Naota..."

"Dispatch? We'll also need medical treatment for two assault victims, one male and the other female. Doesn't look like anything major, but might as well take them in just in case." Soap added onto his report and saw Kanti produce a smog over the wrecked Regis that it then vented to cover over the machine's surface, "What is he doing?"

"We're lucky that we caught that guy at night," An exhausted Naota commented, "Coop said that he feeds off of solar energy and is strongest in day light with clear skies."

"Yeah, I'll agree on that mate." Yet again, Soap managed to escape death by the skin of his teeth. He knew full well that only a handful of people were as lucky as he was...

* * *

**Classified Location, Nova Scotia**

"We surrender damn it! Stop shooting at us!" A battered Colonel cried out just as an equally wounded private was shot between the eyes, "STOP!"

"Why? It's fun!" Dilandau shouted from atop his guymelef, in his hands was a high-powered sniper rifle that he'd commandeered from the currently burning forward command post that he and his unit had just razed to the ground, "If you don't wanna die, then you should've started running!"

"You'd catch up to us!"

"I never said that you'd get out alive, did I?" Dilandau fired another shot to take out the Colonel's arm. As the colonel started screaming out, Dilandau leapt down from his Alseides and landed in front of the suffering colonel, "That looks like it hurts."

"Stop messing around!" The pilot of the legendary Mazinger Z called out, "Grab the colonel so we can leave before more reinforcements arrive!"

"Why's that a problem? This mission too quick as is." The colonel's screams and apparent blood loss annoyed Dilandau, "Alright...let me close that wound before you bleed to death." He noticed a budlight and quickly gulped it down just as he spotted another survivor with a broken leg and a steel pipe.

So Dilandau breathed fire on him.

"Stop that!"

"Stop what? I need hot metal to save the colonel." Dilandau said to the robot with rocket powered fists as he grabbed the red-hot pipe out of the burning private and turned from him to the colonel. The process was quick, but annoying due to the colonel's constant attempts to resist anything that would enable his capture, "How do you feel colonel?"

"You burned half of my men in their sleep, killed most of the rest, sniped down those who surrendered and set an ensign on fire."

"Good! You're not dying!" Dilandau hauled the colonel onto his back and stepped over the gasping burning ensign, "I've gotta say! You put up more of a fight than your friends in Alaska and Toronto."

"What do you want with me?"

"The Viscountess of Area 8 wants a word with you."

"You're working for Britannia? But...why would they attack us?"

"Why are you amassing forces on the border?"

"In case Crazy Kaiba sends his two gattai-mecha against us!"

"That rich boy that Van works for?" Dilandau was now curious, "Why the hell would he attack you?"

"Congress didn't want to take any chances..."

"I guess I can see why. But...they should've been worried about someone else."

"Who?"

"Me..." Dilandau bleched fire on another struggling private as his newest "ally" landed in front of him, "I thought that we were leaving?"

"Give the colonel to me."

"I'm not gonna take off his other arm-" Seeing that Kouji Kabuto didn't look like he wanted to debate this, Dilandau dropped the colonel on the ground and walked past, "You want him? Pick him up and carry him-"

"Baka!" Kouji's punch impacted against Dilandau's magic barrier and shattered it to the Gaian's awe and surprise, "This wasn't how the attack was supposed to go! We were supposed to capture the colonel while the base slept!"

"Yeah...but that was boring!" Dilandau countered with a laugh, his arms stretched out in wonder to the carnage all around them, "Sides, how is it more "honorable" to have to kill all of these men in battle than when they slept?"

"Is that a sarcastic question or do you really not care?"

"If you care so much then why are you on my side?" Dilandu asked as Kouji growled and arefully picked up the colonel, "Don't forget that you're part of this too Kabuto."

"For now." Kouji warned, "And when I don't have to work for you-"

"May the best bitch die."

"And die screaming."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Haunted by images of things that may be and things that will be, how will this shape Hitomi's actions in the days to come? Will she inform the rangers of their possible doom? Will she act to defy destiny's designs or will she do nothing out of fear of actualizing those designs? What sinister plot does Lordgenome have planned for Simon and the Dai-Gurren Brigade? What exactly does V know about Roger? Is V a friend, a foe or both at once and neither at the same time? Is Heero going a little overboard with the "Tower of Babel" contingency plans that he's writing? What exactly is Kaiba inviting the downtrodden Euphemia to? Why is Kouji Kabuto working with the bad guys?**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out.**

**This Chapter's a bit short, but it's mostly there to get back into the swing of events and to act as a cool-down after the Zilla Wars Arc. While also providing some important information that's going to come into play in future chapters.**

**Also, before anyone starts, I'm not going to directly state V's identity for a long time if ever. Suffice to say, I did leave one small hint, but if any of you are brilliant enough to figure it out...keep the spoilers out of your reviews or comments.**

**Review Reply section**

**In case you're wondering, I never really had a reason for replying to reviews in the AN since I didn't have a lot of reviews for a long time. But since this 25/now 26 chapter long story now has over 100 reviews (about 4 reviews per chapter), I'd might as well start now. Though I won't be giving any spoilerific answers.**

**randomzealot: Unsure about what I'll do with Pacific Rim, but I do have a few plans.**

**dragon shinobi: I felt like giving Misato a little bit of butt monkey treatment as you've seen in all of her interactions with the UC cast or Kaiba's complete and utter shut-out. Also, Gendo is not as brilliant as he thinks he is and one reason was just shoved in his face.**

**RandomNumbers523156: More hints concerning Dorothy will come later and yeah, Cyban is just (Cyb)org+Hum(an). As far as Kaiba's smugness, he just defeated a bunch of godzilla's super clones and now owns what could have been Nerv's greatest weapon. Of course he'll rub it in Nerv's face.**

**Dr. Dude: Not meant to be a political jab, I just thought Dick Cheney would be a funny political figure to throw into Lordgenome's tribunal. Plus, that only represents some of the Tribunal. Some members are active, others are semi-retired and a few normally stay uninvolved.**

**Sonofhades57: Does that mean I get a TV Tropes award? In all seriousness, yeah, you could call it that. Though it's effect is a bit mitigated by whose giving the speech. I honestly prefer both Misato's speech to Hikari and Aina's speech to Misato in response to Misato's RYS/Motive Rant Speech. But as long as you liked both, that's all that really matters.**

**TehChron: Sorry about the grammer stuff here and there. I'm really working on it. Honest!**

**Ranger24: Like I told RandomNumbers, Kaiba was in a really good mood.**

**Well, thanks for reading, reviewing and enjoying the story thus far. Hope to see more and I hope that your enjoyment only increases as we cross the bridge to the First Season's finale arc.**

**Later.**


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